Twenty-one people have died as a result of an Al-Shabaab terrorist siege that lasted 30 hours in a hotel in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, as worried residents awaited word of missing relatives. Emergency personnel have been working to clean the wreckage left by an Al-Qaeda-affiliated group’s gun and bomb attack on the well-known Hayat hotel, which left some of the structure in ruins and several people believed to be trapped inside.
In the assault that started on Friday night and lasted for more than a day, “the ministry of health has so far confirmed the deaths of 21 persons and the injuries of 117 people,” Adan added.The area around the hotel was heavily guarded on Sunday morning, and the roads were closed as bomb-disposal specialists and first responders worked to clear any explosives and remove debris.
During the gun battle between Somali forces and the militants, the hotel incurred significant damage. Many individuals were anxiously looking for family members who were inside when the incident started as parts of the structure collapsed.
The siege, which ended about midnight, resulted in the rescue of “106 persons,” according to police commissioner Abdi Hassan Mohamed Hijar, who spoke to media on Sunday. Security forces scoured the building to rescue residents, including three young children who had hidden inside a toilet, as gunfire and fires tore through the hotel.
