The Somali jihadist Shebabs claimed responsibility for the attack launched on Sunday on a famous hotel in Mogadishu, frequented by government officials, that killed ten civilians and a police officer, according to an official report in the evening. It took security forces four hours and a raging gun battle to regain control of the Elite Hotel, an establishment on Lido beach frequented by Somali senior officials, politicians and MPs. The attack was carried out by five jihadists in the early evening, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Information, Ismael Mukhtaar Omar, told the media. According to press reports, at least one senior information minister, Abdirasak Abdi, is among the dead. In the process, the 250 or so people present in the hotel were evacuated.

Source: The North Africa Journal August 17, 2020 11:48 UTC