Somalia hotel attack leaves 26 dead

Somalia hotel attack leaves 26 dead

An attack on the Medina Hotel of Kismango kills  at least 26 people (AFP)

At least 26 people, including a number of foreigners, have been killed in an attack on a hotel in southern Somalia.

By Nathan Morley

The bomb and gun attack took place at the Asasey Hotel in the port city of Kismayo, southwest of Mogadishu.

According to police, a suicide car bomber blew himself up outside the hotel where local elders and officials were holding talks.

Soon after, three gunmen stormed inside.

The siege aged through the night, with two gunmen being shot dead and the other arrested by security forces.

Islamist extremist group al Shabaab, which has links al Qaeda, claimed responsibility for the outrage. The group is trying to kick-out Somalia's UN-supported government.

Those killed included Americans, British, Kenyans and Hodan Nalayeh, the well-known Canadian-Somali journalist.

Around 50 others, including two Chinese citizens, were injured.

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