‘Britain’ among four killed in jihadist hotel siege in Somali capital
- Al-Shabaab terrorists stormed the Villa Rose Hotel in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia
- A British man was among four people reportedly killed in the hotel siege
- Hotel siege continues, gunfire and explosions still being heard after 12 hours
A British man is among four victims killed by Al-Shabaab terrorists in Somalia after attacking a popular hotel in the Somali capital Mogadishu.
The Briton, who arrived in Somalia less than two weeks ago, was shot dead by gunmen as he opened fire on guests inside the popular Villa Rose hotel.
The siege of the hotel continues today – more than 12 hours after terrorists stormed the hotel near Rashtrapati Bhavan in a hail of bullets, gunfire and explosions can still be heard.
Mohammad Dahir, an official with the National Security Agency, said the gunmen were holed up in a room in the Villa Rose surrounded by government forces.
Hotel siege continues – gunfire and explosions can still be heard more than 12 hours after terrorists stormed the hotel near Rashtrapati Bhavan in a hail of bullets (file image)
“So far we have confirmed the death of four people.
‘Very soon the situation will become normal.’
He said that government officials are also included among others.
Villa Rose is frequented by parliamentarians and is located in a safe central part of the capital, a few blocks from the office of Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud.
Al-Shabaab, an al-Qaeda-affiliated militant group that has been trying to overthrow Somalia’s central government for 15 years, claimed responsibility for the attack.
Police said the gunmen entered the hotel in Bondere district at around 8 pm (1700 GMT) on Sunday and an operation was underway to “eliminate” them.
More than 12 hours later, witnesses near the scene reported still hearing loud explosions and gunshots.
Local eyewitness Mahad Yare said, “I saw several military vehicles with special forces driving towards the hotel and a few minutes later there was heavy gunfire and explosions.”
Hundreds of people were rescued from the hotel.
Abdi Hassan, a government employee who lives near the hotel, told The Associated Press that he believed several government officials were inside the hotel when the attack began.
He said some people were seen jumping the perimeter wall to safety, while others were rescued.
In a statement late on Sunday, the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), a 20,000-strong military force from across the continent, praised the ‘swift’ security response to the attack.
On its website, Villa Rose describes the hotel as ‘the most secure accommodation in Mogadishu’, with metal detectors and a high perimeter wall.
Al-Shabaab has stepped up attacks against civilian and military targets as Somalia’s recently elected government adopted a policy of ‘all-out war’ against the Islamists.
On 29 October, two cars filled with explosives exploded minutes apart in Mogadishu, followed by a shootout, killing at least 121 people and injuring 333 others
Security forces backed by local militias, ATMIS and US airstrikes have driven al-Shabaab from central parts of the country in recent months, but the offensive has retaliated.
On 29 October, two explosives-laden cars exploded minutes apart in Mogadishu, followed by a shootout, killing at least 121 people and injuring 333 others.
It was the deadliest attack in five years in the fragile Horn of Africa country.
At least 21 people were killed in a siege on a Mogadishu hotel in August, which lasted for 30 hours before security forces were able to overpower the terrorists within.
The United Nations said earlier this month that at least 613 civilians have been killed and 948 injured in violence in Somalia this year, mostly caused by improvised explosive devices (IEDs) linked to al-Shabaab.
The figures were the highest since 2017 and an increase of over 30 per cent from last year.
