At least 20 people were reportedly killed and 40 wounded after militants linked to al-Qaeda stormed a hotel in Somalia’s capital on Friday evening and opened fire on civilians.
Dozens of civilians were taken hostage and some locked themselves inside hotel rooms during a standoff at the Hayat Hotel in Mogadishu.
The attackers reportedly shot and killed civilians who who tried to flee, as well as 10 security personnel with guns and grenades.
Three of the attackers were killed by Somali forces during the standoff, which lasted more than 3o hours.
The al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab group claimed responsibility for the attack. The group has been waging battles to overthrow the Somalian government for more than a decade.
More about the attack can be found here.
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