Somali forces have finally ended yet another long hotel siege in Somalia’s capital of Mogadishu, almost twenty four hours after it began. The siege, which was upon the Villa Rays Hotel just meters from the presidential palace, was perpetrated by Shabaab, al Qaeda’s branch in East Africa.
Shabaab’s men began the siege with its typical modus operandi of a suicide car bomb targeting the hotel’s front gates before an assault team entered the perimeter and stormed the building. The gunmen then took hostages as they seized control over the hotel, battling back several attempts to recapture the compound by Somali security forces.
Exact casualty numbers are still unclear, though it is believed that at least eight people, including a British national, were killed. Two Somali ministers, including Somalia’s Minister of Environment, survived the assault. It is possible the numbers could rise as security forces continue to clear and search the hotel grounds. …
Somali police forces announced the siege was over around twenty one hours after it began, adding that of the six attackers, five were killed and one detonated himself as security forces were advancing. Videos on social media appear to show large-scale destruction to the hotel and its compound.
