Reuters
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Gunfire was heard on Monday from inside a besieged resort within the Somali capital that was attacked on the weekend, a close-by resident and a police officer mentioned, whereas parliament mentioned it had postponed a scheduled session.
The Villa Rose resort, close to the presidential residence, was stormed on Sunday by attackers of al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab, utilizing weapons and explosives, with a police officer saying on the time that some authorities officers escaped from its home windows.
“There is still heavy gunfire inside the hotel, and we hear explosions from time to time … we are still in our houses since last night, when the siege started,” Ismail Haaji, who lives close to the resort, instructed Reuters.
Special forces models, referred to as Gaashaan and Haramcad, had taken over operations, mentioned a police officer on the scene who spoke on situation of anonymity.
“The fighters who launched the attack are still fighting inside the hotel, and they are fighting with the forces of Haramcad and Gaashaan, and security forces are trying to rescue the people trapped inside the hotel,” the officer added.
The variety of casualties from the siege and the variety of individuals rescued was not but clear.
Government officers in Mogadishu regularly use the Villa Rosa resort for conferences.
Somalia’s parliament mentioned it had postponed a scheduled session for each of its homes.
“All members of parliament of both councils are being informed that today’s scheduled meeting has been postponed,” it mentioned in a press release on its Facebook web page.
Al Shabaab, which is in search of to topple the federal government and set up its personal rule primarily based on an excessive interpretation of Islamic legislation, regularly levels assaults in Mogadishu and elsewhere.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who was elected this 12 months, has launched a navy offensive towards the group.