Somalia: gunfire heard in besieged hotel, parliament meeting adjourned



Reuters

Shooting was heard on Monday from a besieged hotel in the Somali capital that was attacked over the weekend, a local resident and a police officer said, while parliament said it had postponed a scheduled meeting.

Hotel “Villa Rosa” next to the presidential residence was stormed Sunday by al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab militantsusing guns and explosives, with a police officer claiming that some government officials escaped from his windows.

“Heavy gunfire is still heard in the hotel and from time to time we hear explosions … we are still in our homes from last night when the siege began,” Ismail Khaaji, who lives near the hotel, told Reuters.

Special forces units known as Gaashaan and Haramcad took over the operations, a police officer at the scene, who requested anonymity, said.

“The gunmen who launched the attack are still fighting inside the hotel, and they are fighting with Haramkad and Gaashaan forces, and security forces are trying to rescue people trapped inside the hotel,” the officer added.

The number of victims of the siege and the number of people saved was not yet clear.

Government officials in Mogadishu often use the Villa Rosa Hotel for meetings.

The Somali parliament said it had postponed a scheduled meeting of both houses.

“All deputies of both councils are notified that today’s scheduled meeting is postponed,” a message on his Facebook page said.

Seeking to overthrow the government and establish its own rule based on an extreme interpretation of Islamic law, al-Shabaab has frequently carried out attacks in Mogadishu and elsewhere.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who was elected this year, launched a military operation against the group.