All Al Shabab terrorists 'killed' in 13-hour hotel siege in Mogadishu
The siege of SYL Hotel in Somalia's capital has ended, but information about casualties remains unavailable.
Vehicles of Somali security officers are parked near Syl Hotel, the scene of an al Qaeda-linked al Shabab group's attack, in Mogadishu, Somalia March 15, 2024. / Photo: Reuters
A siege by Al Shabab terrorists of a hotel in the Somali capital Mogadishu ended on Friday after more than 13 hours, a police officer has told AFP.
"All the terrorist gunmen were killed, and the situation has returned to normal now, the security forces are carrying out a thorough clearance and investigations," said the officer, Abdirahim Yusuf on Friday.
The assault, for which Al Shabab claimed responsibility, began at around 9:45 pm [1845 GMT] on Thursday when gunmen stormed the SYL hotel in a hail of bullets.
There were no immediate reports of casualties at the hotel, but witnesses described the attackers shooting indiscriminately.
Deadly insurgency
Al Shabab has been waging an insurgency against the internationally backed federal government for more than 16 years and has often targeted hotels, which tend to host high-ranking Somali and foreign officials.
Although the group was driven out of the capital by an African Union force, it retains a strong presence in rural Somalia and regularly carry out attacks against political and civilian targets, including in Mogadishu.
The beleaguered central government launched a major offensive against Al Shabab in August 2022, joining forces with local clan militias.
But the offensive has suffered setbacks despite early gains.
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