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Militants Attack Beachfront Hotel in Somali Capital

Harun Maruf

   Militants have carried out an attack on a beachfront hotel in the
   Somali capital Mogadishu on Sunday, killing at leastfive people and
   injuring nearly 30 others, officialssaid.

   Officials and witnesses told VOA Somali that a car bomb exploded
   outside Elite hotel at Mogadishu's Lido Beach. Moments later armed
   gunmen stormed the hotel.

   Security forces have arrived the scene and are battling the militates
   holed up inside.

   Al-Shabab has claimedresponsibilityfor the attack.

   The head oftheSomali journalist's union Mohamed Ibrahim Moalimuu was
   among the witnesses sitting outside the Elite hotel whentheexplosion
   occurred.

   He told VOA Somali that he arrived the hotel 15 minutes before the
   explosion along with his friend Abdirazak Abdi Abdullahi,whoworks
   forthe state-controlledradiostation. Abdullahi was killed by the
   militantsafter thefirst gunshotswere fired, Moalimuu told VOA Somali.

   Abdirazak Aden Osman,a security guard at a nearby hotel,said he heard a
   huge explosion which rocked the area.

   "It was a massive explosion," he said. "Glass from broken windows fell
   on us."

   Osman said there was a heavy gunfire after themilitantsentered the
   hotel.

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