At least 10 dead in Somalia hotel attack

At least 10 people have died in an attack by Al-Qaeda-linked Shebab militants on a hotel in Somalia's capital Mogadishu, Somali security officials said Friday.
"There are at least 10 people killed, including Somalia's ambassador to Switzerland who was in the hotel," one of the security sources told AFP,
The source added that Somali government special forces had entered the city centre Maka al Mukarama hotel and were in the process of securing it after several hours of intense fighting.
Another security official said around five gunmen entered the hotel after detonating a car bomb at its rear gate.
"One of them was armed with a very heavy machine gun. Most of the dead are security guards who fought the attackers," the official, who also asked not to be named. said.
Another official said the attackers were thought to have been killed after more than three hours of fighting.
"All the attackers were killed and the situation is under control. The government's special forces have managed to penetrate the building and are now in full control," the official, Mohamed Hassan, said.
He said nine bodies had been counted -- mostly members of hotel security and civilian guests -- but said security forces were still in the process of confirming the overall toll.
Source: AFP