NEWS- Government officials have confirmed that Al-Shabab fighters in Somalia yesterday evening stormed a heavily guarded Hotel in downtown Mogadishu City where they detonated explosives
According to witnesses and officials, an explosion was detonated outside the SYL Hotel and moments later, gunfire was heard from inside the Hotel.
The al-Shabab militant group claimed responsibility for the attack, saying that its members were fighting inside the Hotel and two security officers who did not want to be identified also said militants had entered the Hotel.
One of the security officers told journalists that multiple people had been injured in the attack, including officials and parliamentarians, but the Somali government Police have not commented on the attack.
The SYL Hotel, which is frequented by citizens as well as politicians, has been the target of multiple al-Shabab attacks in the past.
In 2022, at least 20 people were killed and 40 others injured, including children, during the 30-hour attack on the Hayat Hotel also in Mogadishu and the Al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab claimed it was behind the attack.
By the time of writing this story the number of casualties had not been revealed by the authorities.
