The armed group claims that officials met with the elders and thus killed more than 10 people in Belled Wayne.
Al-Shabaab gunmen raided and besieged a hotel in central Somalia as government officials and tribal elders met to discuss their actions on dress.
In a statement, the armed group argued responsibility for the attack on the Cairo Hotel on Tuesday. Several people have been reportedly killed.
The gunman exploded a car bomb before plunging into the building’s firing. A fierce battle with Somali security forces was sparked, and the siege was underway in the early afternoon.
Various claims
Ali Suleiman, the shopkeeper who witnessed the attack, told Reuters, “We shot a massive explosion followed by another explosion.” The witness told the hotel that parts of the hotel had been shrunk to a tile rub.
Al-Shabaab said in a statement that he killed more than 10 people in the attack. However, reports of deaths were varied.
Reuters reported that at least four people have been killed, citing Congressman Dahir Amin Jesuu, a native of Belledwayne. The Associated Press news agency reported six people have died, citing residents of the area.
Born from anarchy
Born from the longstanding disorder in Somalia after the 1991 civil war, Al-Shabaab is associated with al-Qaeda and has been at war with the Somali government for over 16 years.
Armed groups frequently carry out attacks targeting government officials and military personnel in the country, despite civilians being at risk as well, to overthrow the government to establish their own strict interpretation of Islamic law.
The group, which controls parts of the Somali countryside, continues to pose a threat to the country despite maintaining military operations by the government and African peacekeepers, ousting the capital Mogadishu.
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