Somalia’s Jubaland state security concludes Alshabab’s hotel siege in Kismayo

Somalia’s Jubaland state security agencies affirmed the ending of Alshabab’s hotel siege in Kismayo, the administrative city of Jubaland state. The regional security agencies claimed neutralizing all Alshabab fighters involved in the attack.

The regional security minister Yusuf Hussein said that the siege at the Tawakal hotel ended after security forces shot and killed three “well-armed” al-Shabaab attackers. He said a fourth attacker was a suicide bomber who blew himself up at the start of the incident.

He also said nine people, including civilians and soldiers, were killed and 47 others injured. Sunday’s attack started with an explosion outside the hotel, followed by the storming of the facility by the armed men. The blast was heard around 12:15 p.m. local time.
Alshabab, which has been fighting to topple the internationally recognized Somali government for more than 15 years, had immediately claimed responsibility for the attack on sunday.