Al-Shabaab fighters on Tuesday stormed a hotel in central Somalia hosting a meeting on countering the Islamist group in the region, killing nine civilians, security and police said.
Gunmen rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the hotel’s entrance in the city of Beledweyne, about 300 kilometers (190 miles) from the capital Mogadishu, and opened fire on people inside.
“All the gunmen have been killed,” said security official Hussein Ali.
He said nine civilians, including traditional elders, died but did not disclose how many militants were killed.
“More than 10 other people, most of them civilians, were wounded,” he said.
Traditional elders and military officials were meeting at the hotel in the Hiran region to discuss efforts to support the Somali government’s fight against the militant group.
Police officer Ali Mahad said many of them had been rescued.
“My brother-in-law was inside the hotel Qahira when the attack occurred, he was saved luckily and has slight injuries,” witness Idris Adan told AFP.
“The building was destroyed amid the intense exchange of gunfire,” he added.
Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility.
The Islamist group has been fighting the federal government for over 15 years, carrying out deadly attacks in the capital Mogadishu and other regions.
Although they were driven out of the capital by African Union forces in 2011, the group is still present in rural areas.
Somalia’s president has promised total war against Al-Shabaab. The army has joined forces with local militias in a military campaign backed by an African Union force and US air strikes.
