Up to 17 people have been killed and others are being held hostage after a car bomb attack in Somalia's capital Mogadishu.
A suicide bomber rammed his car into the gate of the Posh Treats Hotel before gunmen posing as soldiers stormed the Pizza House restaurant next door.
The militants took hostages in the restaurant.
Two of the gunmen have been shot dead by security forces and 10 hostages have been rescued, including Asians, Kenyans and Ethiopians.
However, five other attackers are thought to still be inside the restaurant with the electricity cut off, complicating attempts by the security forces to end the siege.
Captain Mohamed Hussein said heavy gunfire could be heard at the scene.
He added that many of the 17 victims were young men who had been entering the restaurant when the car exploded.
It is not clear how many hostages remain inside.
Ambulance spokesman Khalif Dahir said 26 people had been injured.
Mohamud Abdi survived the attack with slight injuries and said: "Many young men did not survive.
"I saw at least eight bodies and many more are still trapped in the fighting.
"I had the chance to get out, along with two people from the attack, when I gave them a helping hand."
Extremist group al-Shabaab has said it is behind the attack.
The Somalia-based extremists recently vowed to increase attacks after the government of Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, who was elected as president in February, launched a new military offensive against them.
The group has lost large amounts of territory to the government-backed African Union peacekeepers in recent years.
No comments:
Post a Comment