Reuters witnesses said sporadic gunfire could still be heard at the five-storey building which has been extensively damaged. Islamist militant group al Shabaab, affiliated with al Qaeda, claimed responsibility for Wednesday's attack on Hotel Ambassador. Al Shabaab was pushed out of Mogadishu by the African Union peacekeeping force AMISOM in 2011. Somali authorities said on Thursday at least 16 people were killed and 55 wounded in a car bomb and gun attack on a hotel in the centre of Mogadishu where sporadic gunfire could still be heard on Thursday. Both contribute troops to an African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia.

Source: The Star June 02, 2016 05:37 UTC