The death toll from an al-Shabab attack on a hotel in central Somalia has risen to 10, with most of the victims being civilians, a police official said Wednesday.
The militant group, which is linked to al-Qaida, targeted the hotel in Beledweyne on Tuesday, detonating a car bomb before gunmen stormed the building. The attack led to an hours-long siege as government forces fought to regain control.
Clan elders from the Hiran region had gathered at the hotel to discuss strategies against al-Shabab when the attack began. The group later claimed responsibility.
A local elder had initially reported seven deaths.
“The siege ended at midnight. Four attackers blew themselves up, and two others were shot dead,” said Major Nur Aden, a police officer in Beledweyne. “Ten people died in the hospital, including elders and soldiers, mostly civilians.”
Residents reported that gunfire subsided around midnight.
Al-Shabab, which has waged a nearly two-decade insurgency to overthrow the Somali government and impose its strict interpretation of Islamic law, claimed in a statement that its fighters killed 20 people, including soldiers and elders. The group did not provide details on its own casualties, and its figures often differ from those given by officials.
