A police officer in Somalia. File photoMOSCOW, Aug 21Somali Health Minister Ali Haji Adan said 21 people were killed in an attack by al-Shabaab radical militants on the Hayat hotel in the country's capital Mogadishu, SONNA reports.Earlier local media reported about 40 dead and more than 70 injured. 117 people received the hotel. On Friday evening, Goobjoog wrote about three explosions in the hotel area and shooting. Later, local media reported that a firefight between security forces and al-Shabab militants was taking place on the territory of the hotel. On Saturday morning, a meeting of the Somali parliament was canceled, a number of prominent politicians, including members of parliament, were in the hotel, and loud explosions were heard in the city. On Sunday morning, it was reported that the Somali security forces eliminated the militants who had settled in the hotel. The radical Islamist group Al-Shabab (Young Mujahideen Movement), based in Somalia, has close ties to the international terrorist organization Al-Qaeda*. It wages an armed struggle against the central government of Somalia and obstructs the humanitarian activities of the UN. U.S. regularly strikes Al-Shabab positions.*Terrorist organization, banned in Russia.
Explosions heard in Somali capital, media reported
