Araweelo News Network

Muqdisho(ANN)-Al Shabaab confirmed that its forces carried out a suicide attack on the heavily guarded Elite Hotel on Lido Beach.

“The Mujahideen carried out a vicious attack on a hotel owned by an Apostate lawmaker in Mogadishu’s Abdiaziz district,” a statement from Al Shabaab said.

“I heard a loud explosion at the hotel, followed by gunfire that I can still hear. The air was engulfed in smoke from the blast. ” Ahmed Ali, an eyewitness to the blast, told the BBC.

 

Somali state television, SNTV, reported that Abdirizak Abdi, director of regional relations at the Ministry of Information, was killed in the blast. He also said that SNTV cameraman Mohamed Abdi Hussein was injured in the blast.

Reports say there were more casualties, with more than 15 dead and at least 30 injured.

The situation is chaotic, with reports that al-Shabaab is holding an unknown number of civilians inside, mostly civilians.

Federal security forces have cordoned off the area, and there are no reports of any casualties, and the number of casualties is rising.