Nine people were killed in an attack in the Somali capital, Mogadishu.
The spokesman for the Somali police reported that nine people died in an attack on a hotel in the capital on Sunday, indicating that security forces ended the assault launched by fighters from the Al-Shabaab militant group, which is linked to Al-Qaeda. A car bomb exploded on Sunday evening, followed by gunfire between the group's militants and security forces at the Afrik Hotel. The fighting continued until Monday morning.
Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein stated in a message that the former army general Mohamed Noor Galal was among the deceased. He added, "I condemn this brutal attack. May God have mercy on all those who died. The name of General Mohamed Noor Galal will remain immortal for his role over 50 years in defending the country."
Sadiq Ali told reporters at the scene and via Facebook, "The operation has ended now. Nine people were killed, including four attackers, and more than 10 civilians were injured."
The group continues to impose strict regulations on citizens, banning dancing and music at weddings and closing cafes. The courts affiliated with the group have carried out floggings and executions, as well as amputations in various areas, mostly in the southern town of Kismayo and neighborhoods under their control in Mogadishu, through a "morality police" they established for this purpose. Since 2005, Al-Shabaab has executed hundreds of Somali Christians (numbering no more than a thousand). The militia has also destroyed the shrines of Sufi Muslims in the areas they control.
