Massacre in Mogadishu – at least 20 killed, unknown number taken hostage

#mogadishu #alshabaab #somalia #alqaeda #suicidebomber Al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab has taken responsibility for the attack on the Hotel Maka Al Mukaram in Mogadishu – at least nine deaths have been reported with an unspecified number taken hostage.
As per VOA report – death toll is 20 with another 28 injured.
From reports it is revealed that a suicide bomber has detonated an explosives-laden car at the gate of the hotel, and at least four gunmen have taken hostages inside the building following a furious shootout with police.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 27 March 2015.

The hotel is located in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia and is popular with government officials. It is still not clear who the targets were. Police captain Mohamed Hussein has confirmed that he had counted at least nine bodies at the scene, and has indicated that the death toll is likely to rise.
There were the remains of two destroyed cars at the gates of the building and the militants had taken control of the hotel as admitted by Major Ismail Olow, a Mogadishu police officer at the scene. The al-Shabaab fighters were on the top of the building and inside the hotel.

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