At least 20 dead, 40 injured thus far in latest attack by Somali terrorist cell al-Shabab

Somali terrorist group al-Shabab, which is aligned with al Qaeda, claimed responsibility for storming the Hayat Hotel in Somalia’s capital of Mogadishu Friday night.

The Islamist insurgents blasted their way into the hotel with two car bombs before opening gunfire. 

“Two car bombs targeted Hotel Hayat. One hit a barrier near the hotel and then the other hit the gate of the hotel,” a police officer named Ahmed told Reuters.

“We were having tea near the hotel lobby when we heard the first blast followed by gunfire,” eyewitness Abdullahi Hussein told The Associated Press. “I immediately rushed toward hotel rooms on the ground floor, and I locked. The militants went straight upstairs and started shooting.”

At least 20 people have died thus far as the government siege stretches into Saturday evening, according to the AP.

“The security forces rescued dozens of civilians, including children, who were trapped in the building,” security official Mohamed Abdikadir told Agence France-Presse.

Ahmed Abdi, a doctor at Mogadishu’s Madina Hospital, told CNN the death toll is likely to rise, with many victims arriving in critical condition.

Mohamed Abdirahman, director of Madina Hospital, told the AP that “40 people were admitted there with wounds or injuries from the attack. While nine were sent home after getting treatment, five are in critical condition in the ICU.”

Police Major Hassan Dahir confirmed to CNN that two security officials, including Mogadishu intelligence chief Muhidin Mohamed, are among the wounded. The Hayat Hotel is known as a popular spot for government officials.

“The security forces will announce any moment that the siege is over, it took a long time because of the complexity of the rescue mission,” police officer Ibrahim Duale told AFP.