Somali forces end a 24-hour siege by al-Shabab militants on a hotel, leaving all fighters dead

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Somali security forces on Wednesday ended a 24-hour siege at a hotel in the central city of Beledwyne, leaving an unknown number of people dead, including all the al-Shabab militants who launched the attack, officials said.

The attack began when a car bomb exploded Tuesday at the Cairo Hotel, which houses traditional elders and military officers involved in coordinating the government’s offensive against al-Shabab.

The mayor of Beledweyne, Omar Alasow, on Wednesday said security forces had “successfully ended the siege” and that six al-Shabab militants died. It is still unclear how many civilians were killed in the attack.

The al-Qaida-affiliated al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack.

Beledweyne, about 335 kilometers (208 miles) north of the capital, Mogadishu, is the capital of the Hiran region and a strategic location in the ongoing campaign against al-Shabab.

Estimates of the death toll from the attack varied. One local resident, Muhsin Abdullahi, said six people, including two well-known traditional elders, were killed. But witness Hussein Jeelle Raage said three of his family members were among at least 11 people he knew were dead.

Footage shared on social media showed thick smoke rising from the hotel, with significant destruction to the building.

Al-Shabab, which opposes Somalia’s federal government, frequently carries out bombings and assaults targeting government officials and military personnel in the Horn of Africa nation. The group controls parts of rural Somalia and poses a significant threat despite sustained military operations by government troops and African Union peacekeepers.