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| Mogadishu attacks: At least 13 dead as two car bombs hit Somali capital with gunfire heard inside hotel | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Two bombs have exploded in the Somali capital of Mogadishu close to the presidential palace and parliamentary buildings. | Two bombs have exploded in the Somali capital of Mogadishu close to the presidential palace and parliamentary buildings. |
| A suicide car bomb exploded as it was driven into the front of a popular hotel while a second blast was heard shortly after near the former parliament house which had military personnel inside. | |
| Police said a third blast had been heard at the scene of the attack outside the hotel. | Police said a third blast had been heard at the scene of the attack outside the hotel. |
| Captain Mohamed Hussein told the Associated Press that an attacker detonated a suicide vest. | Captain Mohamed Hussein told the Associated Press that an attacker detonated a suicide vest. |
| At least 13 people are reported to have died and more than 16 people are believed to be injured after the first suicide car bomb ploughed into the Nasa-Hablod hotel which is known be be frequented by politicians and members of Mogadishu's elite. | |
| Captain Hussein said gunfire could be heard inside the hotel and that fighting was continuing inside. | Captain Hussein said gunfire could be heard inside the hotel and that fighting was continuing inside. |
| The al-Shabab extremist group has claimed responsibility for the attack and said its fighters were still inside the hotel. | The al-Shabab extremist group has claimed responsibility for the attack and said its fighters were still inside the hotel. |
| Major Abdullahi Aden, a police officer told Reuters the car bomb exploded at the hotel gate. | Major Abdullahi Aden, a police officer told Reuters the car bomb exploded at the hotel gate. |
| "They are fighting inside. So far we do not have casualty figures," he said. | "They are fighting inside. So far we do not have casualty figures," he said. |
| "It is a busy hotel frequented by lawmakers, (military) forces and civilians." | "It is a busy hotel frequented by lawmakers, (military) forces and civilians." |
| A Somali police officer, Nur Mohamed said: “The second car bomb occurred at the ex-parliament house where there were [military] forces." | A Somali police officer, Nur Mohamed said: “The second car bomb occurred at the ex-parliament house where there were [military] forces." |
| The blast in Somalia's capital comes two weeks after more than 350 people were killed in a massive truck bombing on a busy Mogadishu street in the country's worst-ever attack. | The blast in Somalia's capital comes two weeks after more than 350 people were killed in a massive truck bombing on a busy Mogadishu street in the country's worst-ever attack. |
| The extremist group al-Shabab often targets high-profile areas of Mogadishu. | The extremist group al-Shabab often targets high-profile areas of Mogadishu. |
| Since the blast two weeks ago, President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed has been visiting regional countries to seek more support for the fight against the extremist group. | Since the blast two weeks ago, President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed has been visiting regional countries to seek more support for the fight against the extremist group. |
| A 22,000-strong multinational African Union force in Somalia is expected to withdraw its forces and hand over the country's security to the Somali military by the end of 2020. | A 22,000-strong multinational African Union force in Somalia is expected to withdraw its forces and hand over the country's security to the Somali military by the end of 2020. |
| The US military also has stepped up military efforts against al Shabab this year in Somalia, carrying out nearly 20 drone strikes. | The US military also has stepped up military efforts against al Shabab this year in Somalia, carrying out nearly 20 drone strikes. |
| More follows… | More follows… |