Following a deadly siege of Islamic terrorists, which attacked a hotel in Somalia's Mogadishu, the nation's law enforcement claimed to have defeated the militant group on Saturday. Officials are expected to give full details of the siege on Sunday.
According to local media reports, at least 40 people overall died as a result of the ordeal. The attackers broke into the Hayat Hotel in Mogadishu on Friday using explosives, then brutally seized the building and held guests hostage. Al-Shabaab, an extremist Islamist organization, claimed responsibility for the assault.
"The security forces have ended the siege now and the gunmen are dead, we've had no incoming gunfire from the building in the past hour," an unnamed official is quoted by the AFP news agency as saying.
The hotel has been largely destroyed following intense bombardment by security forces throughout Friday night and Saturday, with videos showing explosions and smoke billowing from the building's rooftop.
Al-Shabaab's military spokesman Abdiasis Abu Musab said the group repelled more than 15 attacks launched by the government troops, the Somali Guardian reported.
Two vehicle bombs, which were aimed at the hotel's front gate and barrier, were reportedly used to enter the building on Friday evening. Following the initial assault, an al-Shabaab-affiliated website allegedly claimed a gang of militants were "carrying out random shootings" after having "forcibly entered" the hotel, which was characterized as a well-liked gathering place for federal officials.
The terrorists holding an unknown number of people hostage reportedly blasted out the stairs required for access, making it difficult for security forces to get to the floor for hours.
Al-Shabaab, an affiliate of al-Qaeda*, has been fighting with the central government for a very long time. The group has managed to expand its influence into regions under the jurisdiction of the Mogadishu-based government while still maintaining control over a large portion of southern and central Somalia.
Concerns regarding a potential new tactic by al-Shabaab have been raised as a result of fighters connected to the group attacking areas along the Somalia-Ethiopia border in recent weeks. Since Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Somalia's new president, was elected in May, the group has carried out just one attack in the nation's capital.
The fall of dictator Siad Barre's rule in 1991 caused Somalia as a whole to disintegrate. The federal administration, which oversees the capital of Mogadishu and many other regions, is acknowledged by the international world as the only legal power.
*terrorist organizations banned in Russia and many other states