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| Mogadishu hotel attack: Building in Somali capital 'stormed by al-Shabaab' jihadists | Mogadishu hotel attack: Building in Somali capital 'stormed by al-Shabaab' jihadists |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Fighters from the Islamist group al-Shabaab have attacked a hotel in Mogadishu, Somalia. | Fighters from the Islamist group al-Shabaab have attacked a hotel in Mogadishu, Somalia. |
| The militants set off a car bomb outside the hotel and say they have stormed the building. | The militants set off a car bomb outside the hotel and say they have stormed the building. |
| "We started with a car bomb and then stormed the hotel," an Al-Shabaab military operations spokesman said. "We are inside it and fighting continues." | "We started with a car bomb and then stormed the hotel," an Al-Shabaab military operations spokesman said. "We are inside it and fighting continues." |
| He said it was the Somali Youth League hotel. | He said it was the Somali Youth League hotel. |
| The SYL hotel is locarted across from the presidential palace and is frequented by government officials and business executives. | The SYL hotel is locarted across from the presidential palace and is frequented by government officials and business executives. |
| A police officer said the car bomb struck the gate of a park behind the hotel and most people escaped through another gate. | A police officer said the car bomb struck the gate of a park behind the hotel and most people escaped through another gate. |
| "I heard an exchange of gunfire around the area. I am not sure whether or not the attackers are in the hotel," Police Major Ahmad Ismail said. | "I heard an exchange of gunfire around the area. I am not sure whether or not the attackers are in the hotel," Police Major Ahmad Ismail said. |
| He did not say if there were any casualties. | He did not say if there were any casualties. |
| Residents reported hearing gunfire following the blast, with a large plume of smoke rising above the city. | Residents reported hearing gunfire following the blast, with a large plume of smoke rising above the city. |
| A second explosion of a similar magnitude was heard 40 minutes after the first, the BBC reports. | |
| Al-Shabaab often launches attacks in Mogadishu on a Friday - the Somali weekend - when more people visit the city's hotels and restaurants. | Al-Shabaab often launches attacks in Mogadishu on a Friday - the Somali weekend - when more people visit the city's hotels and restaurants. |
| The al-Qaeda affiliated group claimed responsibility for a mortar attack targeting the presidential palace which killed three civilians, including a child, on Thursday. |