Police in Somalia have put the death toll from Thursday’s car bomb attack in Mogadishu at 29.
The suicide bomb attack was carried out by militant group al-Shabab at the Maka Al-Mukarama hotel.
A senior police officer, Major Musa Ali is quoted by Reuters as saying that “So far we know 29 people mostly civilians died and 80 others injured.
The militants are still fighting from inside a civilian house adjacent to the hotel… The death toll may rise.”
Police also say some 80 people have sustained injuries. Meanwhile Somali troops are engaged in a gun battle at the site of the blast with the militants.
The militants reportedly seized a nearby building after the bomb attack and were then surrounded by Somali troops.
A police officer, Ibrahim Mohamed told AFP that “There are still some armed men inside a building”.
The troops have said a number of civilians were rescued from the building under attack.
Al-shabab is known for carrying out deadly attacks in Somalia and eastern part of Africa.
The militants are fighting to overthrow the UN-backed government in Somalia considered very week. The group impose its own strict interpretation of Islamic law.
But it has lost control of many towns and cities to a 22,000-strong African Union force supporting the government.
Al-shabab is linked to al-Qaeda and still has a strong presence in many rural areas in Somalia.
Source: Africafeeds.com
