Relatives of people missing after the attack on the Hayat hotel in Mogadishu, Somalia, await news following a 30-hour hostage-taking by Islamist Shebab rebels that killed at least 13 civilians.

Dozens of people were also injured after al-Shabaab, a group close to al-Qaeda, stormed the hotel Friday night. Somali security forces ended the hostage-taking on the night of Saturday into Sunday, announcing the death of all the attackers.

This morning, rescuers were looking for survivors among the ruins, and around the hotel, cordoned off by law enforcement, experts were looking for possible explosive devices. The Hayat Hotel suffered extensive damage, with parts of it collapsing.

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.

Shebab spokesman Abdiaziz Abu Musab told Radio Andalus yesterday that the group had “inflicted heavy casualties” on the security forces. The Hyatt Hotel was a famous meeting place for government officials.

Although officials said dozens of people were rescued, including children, it is not known how many were left trapped in the hotel. According to eyewitness Hayat Ali, three children of the same family, aged 4-7, were found in a state of shock in the toilets of the hotel.

This morning, dozens of people gathered on the road leading to the hotel, looking for news from their relatives, but the security forces did not let them in. Mukhtar Adan, a businessman whose brother was at the hotel Friday night, said he was waiting for permission to enter the building. “My brother was at the hotel the last time I heard from him, but now his phone is down and we don’t know what to expect,” she explained.

Said Nurov, for his part, indicated that he was worried about his friend, who was staying at the hotel. “I hope he is alive. According to the latest information that his sister had, he was staying at a hotel.”

Somalia’s allies, mainly the US, the UK, but also the UN, strongly condemned the attack. “We extend our sincere condolences to the bereaved families, wish a full recovery to those affected, and congratulate the Somali security forces,” the State Department said in a statement.

According to a security source, the Somali government is about to hold a press conference.

^{Sources: APE-MPE, AFP.}