Somalia’s Al-Shabab Kills Four in Puntland Hotel Attack

Somalia’s Al-Shabab militants stormed a hotel in the capital of the semi-autonomous Puntland region killing four guards, while two of the attackers also died, a senior Somali official said.

The attack occurred in the port city of Bosasso early on Wednesday, Yusuf Mohamed, the governor of Bari region said.

“Three al-Shabab fighters stormed the International Village Hotel this morning. Four guards and two of the attackers died in the fighting,” he said.

The hotel is popular with foreigners.

“Fortunately the attackers did not enter the rooms. The fighting took place inside the compound. A third fighter escaped and we are pursuing him. All the people in the hotel are safe.”

Attacks are not common in the northern parts of Somalia, unlike in the south where al-Shabab is waging a deadly war against the Somali government and the African Union forces bolstering it.

Until 2011, the al-Qaeda-linked group controlled most of Somalia including the capital, Mogadishu.