MOSCOW (Sputnik) — A car bomb explosion followed by gunfire in the Somali capital of Mogadishu on Friday left an unknown number of casualties, media reported, citing local officials.
NEW: Al-Shabab militants have stormed the heavily-fortified Somali Youth League hotel in central Mogadishu and are now in alleged control.
— Simon Mugisha (@Ninye_Mugisha) 26 февраля 2016 г.
According to the BNO news outlet, the blast outside the Somali Youth League (SYL) Hotel took place around 8 p.m. local time (17:00 GMT). The incident was followed by gunfire and another explosion in less than an hour.
The SYL Hotel is located south of the presidential palace and is home to a number of Somali government officials, the news outlet reported.
According to media reports, the al-Shabaab militant group, a Somali-based affiliate of al-Qaeda, claimed responsibility for the bomb attack.
