Al-Shabab claims responsibility for deadly hotel attack which claimed 17 lives, injured dozens

Militant group, Al-Shabab has claimed responsibility for a deadly attack at an upscale beachfront hotel in the Somali capital of Mogadishu.

Al-Shabab said they carried out the attack, according to a statement translated by the SITE Intelligence Group on Sunday.

The statement claimed its fighters “took control over the hotel” in the “martyrdom-seeking operation”.

READ ALSO: Al-Shabab claims responsibility for deadly car bomb attack in Somalia

The attack which witnessed the killing of 17 victims and the injuring of a dozen others ended after a three-hour fierce gun battle between the militants and security forces which began with a suicide car bombing.

Government spokesman Ismael Mukhtar Omar told the dpa news agency that two government employees, three hotel security guards, four civilians and three unidentified people were among the victims killed.

“The blast was very heavy and I could see smoke in the area. There is chaos and people are fleeing from nearby buildings,” said witness Ali Sayid Adan.

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