MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Somalian government made a decision on Sunday to dismiss country's police chief and the head of an intelligence service after the deadly explosion in the capital, Information Minister Abdirahman O. Osman said.
Council of Ministers of #Somalia today sacked the Police Commissioner and the Chief of Intelligence as part of accountability
— Abdirahman O. Osman (@engyarisow) 29 октября 2017 г.
On Saturday, a suicide attacker detonated a car bomb near a hotel located close to the presidential palace in Mogadishu. The blast was followed by another explosion in the same area. After the attack, a shootout started in the hotel between the attackers and security forces.
According to the latest police figures, at least 27 people were killed.
Police have also reported they had detained the suspects in the attacks.
Security forces confirm that 3 out of the 5 terrorists that attacked Nasa Hablod 2 Hotel are in custody. The other two were suicide bombers.
— Abdirahman O. Osman (@engyarisow) 29 октября 2017 г.
The al-Shabab terrorist group, linked to al-Qaeda was reported to have claimed responsibility for the act of violence. The group is infamous for its numerous attacks against civilians in the country's public spaces such as hotels and restaurants.
Terrorist attacks in Somalia are quite common. The latest deadly explosion occurred near the Safari hotel, located in the Khodan district of Mogadishu in October. The blast killed 358 people and injured hundreds more, making it the most deadly in the somber recent history of the war-shattered city.
