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    Specialized Somali forces end the Al Shabaab siege at a hotel in Mogadishu.

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    Somali Magazine -The 30-hour-long deadly siege against a hotel in Mogadishu has come to an end thanks to the killing of the last two Al-Shabab gunmen by Somali authorities late Saturday night.

    We haven’t received any incoming gunfire from the building in the last hour, the commander told AFP. “The security forces have already terminated the siege, and the gunmen are dead.”

    However, despite officials proclaiming all assailants dead, neighbours claimed to have heard occasional gunshots into Sunday morning.

    The unnamed official gave no further details regarding the victims’ names or the total number of casualties.

    At least 20 civilians have died and 40 have been injured as a result of the siege, which started when Al Shabaab insurgents detonated a bomb inside the renowned Hayat Hotel on Friday night, according to security and ambulance officials.

    Heavy artillery and explosives were deployed by specialised security units, including as Alpha Group and Cheetah (Haramcad), to clear out the last Al Shabaab fighters.

    The Hayat, a favourite hangout for citizens, federal government employees, and members of the political establishment, is close to the KM4 roundabout.

    We haven’t received any incoming gunfire from the building in the last hour, the commander told AFP. “The security forces have already terminated the siege, and the gunmen are dead.”

    The unnamed official gave no further details regarding the victims’ names or the total number of casualties.

    On Saturday, the world community strongly denounced Al Shabaab and offered its sympathies to the victims.

    The armed organisation claimed to have held hostages during the siege, including government and security personnel, in a message to the group’s media affiliates.

    Although officials claimed that dozens of hotel visitors, including children, had been rescued, it is unknown how many were still there when the siege ended.

    Since Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, the country of Somalia’s new president, assumed office in late May, Friday’s bombing was the first big assault on a soft target in Mogadishu.

    The US has lately carried out a number of airstrikes on militants, including one that resulted in the deaths of 13 Al Shabaab combatants in the central-southern region of Somalia.

    The Islamist insurgency will require more than simply a military strategy, according to Mohamud, who advocated the unique concept of direct talks with Al

     

     

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