Somalia: Death toll from attack on Mogadishu hotels rises to 22
Mogadishu: The death toll from Tuesday's car bomb attack targeting two hotels popular with officials near the presidential palace in the Somali capital
The attack was claimed by the Islamist militant group al Shabaab. The blast partially destroyed two hotels, including one in which a meeting of security officials was underway, the government has said.
"We have confirmed from various hospitals that at least 22 died and 50 others were wounded," police officer Major Mohamed Abdullahi told Reuters.
Information Minister Mohamed Abdi Hayir said on Tuesday a security officials were gathered inside one of the hotels, the SYL, at the time of blast, and that one minister and some state radio journalists were wounded.
The hotel is frequented by government officials and police said it believed the facility was the likely target.
Seeking to impose its own harsh form of Islam, al Shabaab, wants to topple the Western-backed government in
The group was forced out of
The militants have claimed responsibility for several explosions in