Somalia Qahira Hotel attack: Al-Shabab siege ends leaving seven dead

An explosives-laden vehicle blew up before gunmen entered the hotel, witnesses say.

British Broadcasting CorporationWatch LiveHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingAudioPodcastsRadioAudio FAQsVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveWeatherNewslettersSomali forces end deadly 24-hour hotel siege4 hours agoShareSaveFardowsa HanshiBBC NewsShareSaveAFPAl-Shabab controls large parts of rural SomaliaSomali security forces have ended a deadly 24-hour siege by Islamist fighters who stormed a popular hotel in the central city of Beledweyne, authorities said.

The attack by al-Shabab began with a car bomb exploding, followed by gunmen entering the hotel, leading to intense clashes with security forces.

"The attackers have been neutralised. Some detonated themselves while others were killed by police forces," Omar Osman Calasow, the mayor of Beledweyne district, told the BBC.

The mayor said seven people had been killed in the attack but witnesses said the death toll could be higher.

The raid at the Qahira Hotel took place as politicians, security officials and traditional elders were meeting to discuss plans for an offensive against al-Shabab in central Somalia.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2gdjd57lro

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