20100824
africanews

A suicide bomber and a gunman stormed a Mogadishu hotel popularly patronized by Somali officials and killed 15 parliamentarians, an official and eye witnesses told AfricaNews. Al-Qaeda linked group of Al-Shabaab on Monday announced a heavy offensive attack against government forces and AU peacekeepers.

"They have murdered15 MPs and government forces are surrounding the hotel area," a Somali official told AfricaNews on phone.

Al-Shabaab militias attacked the Muna hotel located in government territory in Mogadishu. The Islamists fired at the hotel and one of them blew himself up inside the building, according to a witnesses.

An official from Al-Shabaab who asked not to be named confirmed to AfricaNews that they carried out the suicide attacks. The attack comes amid two days of fighting that have killed at least 40 civilians and wounded more than 130 in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, according to Ali Muse, the head of Mogadishu's ambulance service.

The fighting began Monday, soon after Al-Shabaab spokesman declared a "massive war" on what he labeled "invaders," an apparent reference to the African Union forces that protect the weak Somali government.

More than 6,300 African Union peacekeepers are deployed in Mogadishu but can do little more than guard the airport and presidential palace.