At least 10 people have been killed in an overnight battle in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu that began with a car bombing by the Al-Shabaab jihadist group, security officers said midday Friday, as sporadic shooting continued.
One Shabaab fighter blew himself up in the car bomb late on Thursday, a huge blast that ripped the front of a major hotel and sparked a fireball blaze igniting several cars on the busy street.
Other fighters from the Al-Qaeda-linked group stormed inside a building housing a restaurant, where they were ringed by police.
Fighting continues, with Al-Shabaab gunmen boasting of thwarting attempts to storm their positions, more than 16 hours after the attack began.
“More than 10 people have been killed,” said Abdirahman Ali, a national security officer.
“Rescue operations are still ongoing. The death toll may therefore be higher because there could be still bodies under the debris.”
Abdukadir Abdirahman, director of the Aamin Ambulance service, said that at least 60 people had been wounded.