Extremist attack on Somali hotel leaves 26 dead

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Islamic terrorists blew up the gate of a Somali hotel with a car bomb and took over the building for more than 14 hours, leaving 26 people dead before Somali forces who besieged the hotel overnight killed the attackers. The victims included a prominent Canadian-Somali journalist .

Three Kenyans, three Tanzanians, two Americans and a Briton were among the dead, said Ahmed Madobe, president of Jubbaland regional state, which controls Kismayo. Fifty-six people, including two Chinese, were injured, he told reporters.

At least four al-Shabab assailants attacked the Asasey Hotel Friday evening, beginning with a suicide car bomb at the entrance gate and followed by an assault by gunmen who stormed the hotel, frequented by politicians, patrons and lawmakers.

The attack lasted more than 14 hours before troops shot dead all attackers inside the compound, said Col. Abdiqadir Nur, a local police officer.

Somalia’s Islamic extremist rebels, al-Shabab, claimed responsibility. Al-Shabab is allied with al-Qaida.

The attack is a blow to the Somalia government’s efforts to hold nationwide, one-person one-vote elections next year.

Security officials cordoned off the site of the attack and prevented journalists from taking photos or video of the damaged hotel and in some cases destroyed journalists’ cameras. Government officials have not been available for further interviews.

Canadian journalist Hodan Nalayeh and her husband, Farid Jama Suleiman, died in the attack, Mogadishu-based independent radio station Radio Dalsan confirmed to AP.

Nalayeh was born in Somalia in 1976 but spent most of her life in Canada, first in Alberta and then in Toronto. She founded Integration TV, an international web-based video production company aimed at Somali viewers around the world. She was the first Somali woman media owner in the world.

“This is an attack meant to derail progress in Somalia as the country rebuilds and consolidates the gains made on peace and security,” said Francisco Madeira, special representative of the chairman of the African Union Commission. “Somalia has made tremendous progress in seizing territory and pushing out the terrorists from many places across the country.”

He said the African Union’s multinational force in Somalia will continue to work to stabilize the country.