Video: Casualties Reported Following Militant Attack on Hotel in Somalia's Capital

At least seven people have been killed in an attack by militants on a hotel in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, according to RIA Novosti, citing Somalia's national television (SNTV).

Earlier, the local Garowe internet portal reported, referencing the police, that militants from Al-Shabaab had attacked the Pearl Beach hotel, frequently visited by officials and politicians in Somalia’s capital. Police arrived at the scene promptly. Later, SONNA reported that security forces successfully neutralized the assailants.

“Security forces ended the siege at the Pearl Beach hotel in Mogadishu, eliminating all seven terrorists who had attacked the hotel. Six innocent civilians were killed as a result of the horrific assault. Three security staff members also lost their lives during the operation. Security forces safely rescued 84 individuals,” the television station reported, citing the police.

SONNA agency notes that ten people have been injured.

The radical Islamist group Al-Shabaab, based in Somalia, has close ties with the international terrorist organization Al-Qaeda (designated as a terrorist organization in Russia and several other regions). It is engaged in armed struggle against Somalia’s central government and obstructs UN humanitarian operations. The United States regularly strikes Al-Shabaab positions.