Somali forces end hotel siege; 106 hostages rescued

21 people killed, dozens wounded in 30-hour battle in Somali

A soldier patrols outside the Hayat Hotel in Mogadishu, Somalia, on Aug 20, 2022. | Photo Credit: AFP

Somali authorities on Sunday ended a deadly attack, in which 21 people were killed and dozens more wounded, when gunmen stormed a hotel in the capital.

It took Somali forces more than 30 hours to contain the fighters who had stormed Mogadishu’s Hayat Hotel on Friday evening in an assault that started with loud explosions.

The siege ended around midnight, police commissioner Abdi Hassan Hijar told reporters. Mr. Hijar said that a total of 106 people, including children and women, were rescued during the siege, which ended around midnight.

Health Minister Dr. Ali Haji Adam reported 21 deaths and 117 people wounded, with at least 15 in critical condition. He noted that some victims may not have been brought to hospitals.

Police are yet to give a detailed explanation of how the attack unfolded and it remains unclear how many gunmen entered the hotel.

Ismail Abdi, the hotel’s manager, said that security forces were still working to clear the area. No more gunfire could be heard after 9 a.m. local time. Onlookers gathered outside the gates of the badly damaged hotel on Sunday morning, surveying the scene.

The Islamic extremist group al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack.