The Gulf Time Newspaper One of the finest business newspapers in the UAE brought to you by our professional writers and editors.
Bloomberg
The violent siege by extremists at a popular hotel in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, ended around midnight Saturday, local police said.
A final death toll is pending from Somalia’s ministry of health. Earlier estimates suggest at least 20 people died when members of al-Shabaab stormed the Hayat Hotel on Friday night after first setting off bombs outside.
“As our forces showed great courage to defeat the attackers, the siege ended,†Somali Police Commissioner General Abdi Hassan Hijar said in a news conference. About 106 people were evacuated, including children, he said.
Earlier, security forces battled militant fighters for a second night in the largest such incident in Somalia since Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was elected president in May.
Hayat hotel manager Ismail Abdi said security forces were pounding the building with artillery on Saturday in an effort to contain remaining members of the attackers.
The incident started with explosions outside the hotel before gunmen entered, the Associated Press reported.