Attack on hotel in Mogadishu: death toll rises

(CNN) — At least 15 people were killed after unidentified gunmen stormed a luxury hotel in the Somali capital Mogadishu on Friday night, authorities said. Ahmed Abdi, a doctor at Madina Hospital, said the death toll is likely to rise and many victims are in critical condition. Madina is one of the two main hospitals in Mogadishu where most of the victims of the Hayat hotel attack were admitted. The hospital continues to receive bodies and more wounded, Abdi said. Police Commander Farah Hussein confirmed to CNN that Somali security forces entered the Hayat hotel building and regained most control. The area is frequented by legislators and government officials. Two security officials, including Mogadishu intelligence chief Muhidin Mohamed, were injured in the ongoing attack, Dahir said. However, details remained unclear as the siege continued. The al-Qaeda-linked terror group Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement posted on its affiliated online sites, saying its fighters managed to seize the hotel after making their way into the building. CNN has not independently confirmed the claim. A US airstrike on Sunday killed 13 members of the al-Shabaab group, according to a US Africa Command statement earlier this week. It’s unclear if Friday’s attack is related to that attack. In May, US President Joe Biden decided to redeploy troops to Somalia in support of the local government and to counter al-Shabaab. The move reversed a decision by former President Donald Trump to withdraw all US troops from the country. CNN’s Oren Liebermann contributed to this report.