The Hayat in Mogadishu has been cleared of militants, with at least 13 civilians feared dead, a local commander says
Somali security forces have lifted a siege of a hotel in the nation’s capital by jihadists that lasted around 30 hours, a local commander told AFP on Saturday night.
According to Somali officials quoted by the news agency, at least 13 civilians were killed and dozens of others were injured when militants apparently linked to Al-Shabaab jihadist group, an affiliate of Al-Qaeda, stormed the Hayat Hotel in Mogadishu on Friday.
“The security forces have ended the siege now and the gunmen are dead, we’ve had no incoming gunfire from the building in the past hour,” an unnamed Somali commander told AFP.
Local officials did not provide any details on how many civilians or members of the security forces died during the siege. The death toll among the jihadists remains unknown as well. According to AFP’s sources, the building still needs…
