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Cairo: Egypt strongly condemns the terrorist attack on a hotel in the Somali capital Mogadishu that killed at least 21 people.
“Egypt affirms its full solidarity with Somalia during this painful ordeal, stressing its complete rejection of all forms of violence, extremism and terrorism,” Egypt’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
The Mogadishu police and military announced on Sunday that the Somali army had ended its siege of Hayat and released 106 people, including women and children, Reuters reported.
Al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab militants attacked the hotel on Friday in a 30-hour operation.
On Sunday morning, despite calm conditions, roads remained closed and security was crowded as emergency workers and bomb disposal specialists tried to clear buildings and remove rubble.
The hotel building was badly damaged during an exchange of fire between government forces and militants, causing part of it to collapse, and many feared relatives who were inside when the attack began.
The hotel, a popular meeting place for government officials, was filled with dozens when armed men stormed the hotel.
The Somali National Police commander, Major General Hassan Abdi Mohamed, confirmed that the security forces had successfully ended the attack, the Somali state news agency reported.
“Unfortunately, innocent civilians were killed at the scene of the accident,” he added.
Al-Shabaab confirmed in a statement that the group had taken hostages, including government and security officials, during the siege.
The attack is the largest Mogadishu has seen since the election of the new Somali president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, in May.
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