The attack on the Pearl Beach hotel, in the south of the Somali capital, began last night and continued with a siege that lasted hours. Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it targeted a place frequented by authorities.
Overnight, "security forces put an end to militias that carried out a deadly terrorist attack," public television SNTV said, claiming that "many civilians" were rescued. "Many civilians" are believed to have been killed in the attack on a Mogadishu hotel.