Al-Shabaab fighters are still inside building in Mogadishu after fierce firefight with security forces
Al-Shabaab fighters have seized control of a hotel in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, in a hail of gunfire and explosions, and several casualties have been reported.
The assault on the Hayat Hotel triggered a fierce gunfight between security forces and gunmen from the jihadist group, who were still inside the building, said security official Abdukadir Hassan. “A huge blast went off a few minutes before the gunmen forced their way into the hotel,” he said.