Al-Shabab siege ends leaving seven dead

The Somalia Security Forces have ended the deadly 24 -hour siege by Islamic fighters who attacked a popular hotel in the central city of Beledweyne.

Al-Shaab’s attack started with a car bomb explosion and a gunman entered the hotel and caused intense conflict with the security army.

Omar Osman Calasow, the market of the BeledWeyne district, said, “The attackers are neutralized. Some were killed by the police. ”

The mayor said seven people were killed by the attack, but the witnesses could be higher.

The raid of the QAHIRA hotel was held when politicians, security management and traditional elders had a meeting to discuss attack plans for Al-Shabab in the center of Somalia.

Ali Mahad’s police officer said that most of the people who attended the AFP news agency were rescued.

A federal lawmaker at Dahir Amin Jesow said that about seven gunmen attacked the hotel in the BBC.

It is not clear how many people were injured, but the lawmakers said they tried to organize the plane to fly for the victims for treatment.

As the government and gunmen exchanged fire, some of the hotels were reduced to debris.

“We were shot for the first time and then shot, and another explosion was heard,” he said.

Calasow said the 24 -hour siege ended on Wednesday morning and left “significant damage.”

Calasow added, “There were military officers, traditional elders and soldiers who died from this attack.”

Al-Shabab said 20 people were killed, including the leaders of civil servants and pro-government clan militias.

The federal government is still investigating and has not mentioned the murder of civil servants.

In the statement, Ali Abdullah Hussein, the president of Hirshabelle State, praised the courage to neutralize extremist armed forces.

Hussein added, “Let’s unify to complete the removal of these cruel extremists.”

Beledweyne is about 335 km (208 miles) north of Mogadishu’s capital and is a strategic location of the campaign for AL-SHABAB.

The Somali army continues to campaign with the African Union peacekeepers, which remains a great threat despite the ongoing military operations.