Mogadishu (Somalia), Oct 29 (AP) A suicide truck bombexploded outside a popular hotel in Somalia's capital, killingat least 23 people and wounding more than 30, and gunfirecontinued as security forces pursued other attackers insidethe building, police said.
Two more blasts were heard, one when an attackerdetonated a suicide vest yesterday.
Speaking to the Associated Press by telephone from thescene, Capt. Mohamed Hussein said 30 people, including agovernment minister, were rescued from the Nasa-Hablod hotelas heavy gunfire continued in the standoff between extremistsand security forces.
Three of the five attackers were killed, Hussein said.
The others hurled grenades and cut off the building'selectricity as night fell.
The blasts came two weeks after more than 350 people werekilled in a massive truck bombing on a busy Mogadishu streetin the country's worst-ever attack.
Al-Shabab, Africa's deadliest Islamic extremist group,quickly claimed responsibility for yesterday's attack and saidits fighters were inside the hotel.
Among the dead were a mother and three children,including a baby, all shot in the head, Hussein said.
Other victims included a senior Somali police colonel, aformer lawmaker and a former government minister. Footage fromthe scene showed twisted vehicles and nearby buildings withonly walls left standing.
Mohamed Dek Haji said he survived the bombing as hewalked beside a parked car that was largely destroyed by theexplosion. He said he saw at least three armed men in militaryuniforms running toward the hotel after the bombing at itsgate.
"I think they were al-Shabab fighters who were trying tostorm the hotel," he said, lying on a hospital bed.
Witnesses in some previous attacks have said al-Shababfighters disguised themselves by wearing military uniforms.
Security officials say yesterday's bomber had pretendedhis truck had broken down outside the gate. Police Col.
Mohamed Abdullahi says the bomber stopped outside the heavilyfortified hotel and pretended to repair the truck beforefinally turning it around and detonating.
Al-Shabab often targets high-profile areas of Mogadishu.
It has not commented on the massive attack two weeks ago;experts have said the death toll was so high that the grouphesitated to further anger Somali citizens as its pursues itsinsurgency.
Somalia President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed said the newattack was meant to instill fear in Somalis who united afterthe October 14 attack, marching in the thousands throughMogadishu in defiance of al-Shabab.
Since the blast two weeks ago, the president has visitedregional countries to seek more support for the fight againstthe extremist group, vowing a "state of war." (AP)ZH.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.
