At least 12 people were killed in Somalia when militants from the al-Qaeda-linked Islamist group al-Shabaab attacked a hotel in Mogadishu on Friday. The militants are still hiding in the building, and the security forces are still trying to neutralize them and free the hostages, and the siege continues for the second 24-hour period.

“So far, we have confirmed 12 deaths, most of them civilians,” a former Somali intelligence officer, who gave only his first name, told Reuters.

On the second floor of the building, the attackers are holding an unknown number of hostages. Due to the presence of hostages, the security forces cannot use heavy weapons. They also blew up the stairs, making it difficult to access some floors of the hotel.

From time to time, with the onset of darkness, gusts of wind could be heard from the area. According to residents, as a result of explosions and gunfire, most of the hotel was destroyed.

Friday’s attack was the first large-scale attack in Somalia since the country’s new president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, took office in May. Responsibility was taken by the Shabaab organization, which for more than 10 years has been trying to overthrow the government and create a state based on Islamic laws, Sharia.

The Hyatt is popular with MPs and other government officials. However, there is no information on whether any politician was in the building at the time of the attack.

^{Source: APE-MEB, Reuters, AFP.}