Security officials removed after militants attack hotel

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Security forces ended an overnight siege by militants Sunday at a hotel in Somalia’s capital after a bombing and shootout that killed 23 people, and the government fired its police and intelligence chiefs amid the continuing extremist attacks.

The Cabinet action followed a recommendation by Security Minister Mohamed Abukar Islow. It came hours after the end of the attack on the NasaHablod Hotel and two weeks after more than 350 people were killed in a huge truck bombing on a busy Mogadishu street in Somalia’s worst attack.

The bloodshed has shaken public confidence in the ability of the military to protect the capital, and many Somalis blame the government for not doing enough.

“We are dying in hundreds now,” said resident Ahmednur Hashi. “Who is going to protect us?”

Al-Shabab, Africa’s deadliest Islamic extremist group, claimed responsibility for the latest attack, which began Saturday afternoon when a truck bomb exploded outside the popular hotel. The blast destroyed vehicles and caused extensive damage to nearby buildings.

The militants invaded the hotel and gunfire continued as security forces fought them inside the building. Two more blasts were heard, including one in which an attacker detonated a vest of explosives.

Troops regained control of the hotel after killing three attackers and capturing two others, said Capt. Mohamed Hussein.

Salim Aliyow Ibrow, the minister of Electricity & Water, was rescued from the hotel amid the shooting. Some extremists threw grenades and cut off the building’s electricity as night fell.

The truck bomber pretended his vehicle had broken down before he detonated it in front of the hotel’s fortified gate, said police Col. Mohamed Abdullahi.

The U.S. mission in Somalia condemned the attack, saying the U.S. “remains committed to work with our Somali, African Union and international partners to degrade and defeat terrorism.”

Al-Shabab often targets high-profile areas of Mogadishu, and it quickly claimed responsibility for the latest attack.

President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed said bombing was meant to intimidate the thousands of Somalis who oppose the militant group. The president recently has visited countries in the region to seek more support for the fight against al-Shabab.

The 22,000-member multinational African Union force in Somalia is expected to withdraw and hand over security to the Somali military by the end of 2020. U.S. military officials and others in recent months have expressed concern that Somali forces are not ready to take over.