Friday\u2019s attack was the first major attack since President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud took office in May
\nMogadishu
\nAt least 13 people have been killed in Somalia\u2019s capital Mogadishu after al Qaeda-linked militants attacked a hotel, seizing control in a siege that authorities are still battling to end, an intelligence officer told Reuters on Saturday.
\nThe attackers blasted their way into the Hayat Hotel on Friday evening with two car bombs before opening fire. Somalia\u2019s al Shabaab insurgents have claimed responsibility.
\n\u201cSo far we have confirmed 13 people, mostly civilians, died,\u201d Mohammed, an intelligence officer who only gave one name, told Reuters. \u201cThe operation is about to be concluded but it is still going on.\u201d
\nThe detonations sent huge plumes of smoke over the busy junction on Friday night, and the sound of gunfire still crackled across the capital by 0700 GMT on Saturday. Sounds of explosions punctuated the night as government forces tried to wrest control of the hotel back from the militants, witnesses said.
\nLarge sections of the hotel were destroyed by the fighting, they said. Friday\u2019s attack was the first major attack since President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud took office in May. The al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab group claimed responsibility for the attack, according to a translation by the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors jihadist group statements.
\nAl Shabaab has been fighting to topple the Somali government for more than 10 years. It wants to establish its own rule based on a strict interpretation of Islamic law.
\nThe Hayat Hotel is a popular venue with lawmakers and other government officials. There was no immediate information on whether any of them had been caught up in the siege.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Friday\u2019s attack was the first major attack since President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud took office in May Mogadishu At least 13 people have been killed in Somalia\u2019s capital Mogadishu after al Qaeda-linked militants attacked a hotel, seizing control in a siege that authorities are still battling to end, an intelligence officer told Reuters on Saturday. The […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-278560","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n