Dozens killed in Somalia hotel attack as Shabaab declares 'war'

Mogadishu - Eight Somali parliamentarians and at least another 26 people have been killed in an attack in the capital, Mogadishu, by members of the extremist Al-Shabaab insurgent group, who attacked the Muna Hotel August 24 disguised as security personnel.

Al Jazeera reports the attack follows Shabaab’s declaration of a “massive, all out war” yesterday. Somalia’s Information Minister Abdirahman Yariisow accused Al Shabaab of not even respecting Islam’s holy month of Ramadan. He said: “It happened when two suicide bombers detonated themselves. The security was there, but for some reason, they managed their way in and started shooting. No one was expecting this kind of atrocity. This shows how al-Shabaab is brutal; they never respected our call (for a ceasefire) for the holy month of Ramadan." The extremist movement says it wants to rid Somalia of “invaders,” an apparent reference to the 6,000-strong African Union (AU) peacekeeping mission, AMISOM, which is currently being reinforced. Meanwhile, the IRIN news agency reported a civil society worker saying the whole city was under threat of fighting between Al Shabaab and AMISOM-backed government forces. The worker, who requested anonymity, said:

"There is not one area that is safe today. We are getting reports of dead bodies on most major roads in the city.”

The worker added:

"They are determined to kill what is left of this city. Who will they rule if we are all dead? Whoever wins will rule corpses."

Ali Muse of the city’s ambulance service said 34 corpses and 131 wounded people had been picked up. The numbers, however, were set to increase as the fighting continued and as ambulances reached new areas.