3 dead in ongoing attack in south Somalia hotel

At least three people have been killed in an ongoing attack in a hotel in southern Somalia on Sunday, police and a witness said.

"Terrorist attackers stormed Hotel Tawakal this afternoon and there is ongoing fighting inside the building now between the security forces and the terrorists," police officer Abdullahi Ismail said. "There are fatalities and three civilians were confirmed dead but it is very difficult to say the exact number of the casualties now." "This is not a government target," he added. "It is just an ordinary, civilian-frequented hotel." Witness Farhan Hassan said: "A suicide bomber drove a vehicle onto the entrance of the hotel before the gunmen entered the building. - AFP