reuters
,
Gunshots were heard on Monday from inside a besieged hotel in the Somali capital that was attacked over the weekend, a nearby resident and a police officer said, while parliament said it had suspended a scheduled session. Had given.
The Villa Rose Hotel was located near the President’s residence. Al-Qaeda-linked Al Shabaab attackers carried out the attack on SundaySome government officials escaped through its windows, a police officer said at the time, using guns and explosives.
Ismail Haji, who lives near the hotel, told Reuters: “There is still heavy shelling inside the hotel, and we hear explosions from time to time… We have been in our homes since last night, when the siege began.” ”
A police officer at the scene said on condition of anonymity that special forces units known as Gashan and Harmakad had taken over the operation.
“The assault fighters are still fighting inside the hotel, and they are fighting alongside forces from Haramkad and Gashan, and security forces are trying to rescue people trapped inside the hotel,” the official said.
The casualties from the siege and the number of people rescued are not yet clear.
Government officials in Mogadishu often use the Villa Rosa Hotel for meetings.
Somalia’s parliament said it has postponed scheduled sessions of both its houses.
“All Members of Parliament of both Councils are being informed that today’s scheduled meeting has been postponed,” it said in a statement on its Facebook page.
Al Shabaab, which is seeking to topple the government and establish its own rule based on an extreme interpretation of Islamic law, frequently carries out attacks in Mogadishu and elsewhere.
President Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud, elected this year, has launched a military offensive against the group.