MOGADISHU- Somali security forces have ended the 22-hour siege at Villa Rays Hotel near Somalia’s Presidential Palace in the capital Mogadishu.
Unknown number of gunmen believed to be Al-Shabab stormed the hotel with explosions before taking hostage the occupants of the hotel last night.
Police spokesman Sadik Dodishe in a press conference said all the six attackers have been neutralized.
Doodishe added that a bomber blew himself up and that 8 civilians were killed and 60 people including government officials rescued from the hotel.
Heavy gunfire rang out from inside the hotel for the better part of Monday.
Witnesses said they saw heavy contingent of special commandos from Gashaan, Haramacad paralimitary wing and Danaab of the Somali National Army into the area for purposes of neutralising the attackers.
In a statement posted on Telegram, Al-Shabab said its infantry suicide mission are conducting an operation in a hotel in Mogadishu.
The hotel which is near the Presidential Palace and Somali National Intelligence Agency runned prison ” Godka Jilaow” is frequented by government officials and politicians.
The attack comes amid an ongoing onslaught against the Al-qaeda affiliate group across major towns in Hirshaballe and Galmudug States which has led to huge losses to the militants.
Al-Shabab is trying to destabilise the UN backed fragile Somali Federal government and impose its own strict interpretation of the Islamic Sharia.
Meanwhile, IGAD and Djibouti have strongly condemned the attack and expressed their solidarity with the Somali government.
#IGAD Executive Secretary @DrWorkneh condemns in the strongest terms possible yesterday's attack on Villa Rosa Hotel in #Mogadishu and expresses his solidarity with the Government & people of #Somalia in their fight against terrorism & extremist ideology! pic.twitter.com/rNwx1zmor1
— IGAD Secretariat (@igadsecretariat) November 28, 2022