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At least four persons were killed in a siege by al-Shabaab militants on a hotel in Mogadishu, Somalia, on Monday. According to news agency Reuters, the Parliament in the Somali capital postponed a scheduled session as a result of the attack.
The besieged hotel, Villa Rose, is situated near the Presidential residence. The attackers of the al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab stormed the hotel on Sunday, using guns and explosives.
Sources said the Villa Rosa is frequented by government officials for meetings. A few of the government officials who were in the hotel at the time managed to escape through the windows, said security officers at the site.
Reuters quoted a local named Ismail Haaji as saying: “There is still heavy gunfire inside the hotel and we hear explosions from time to time … we are still in our houses since last night, when the siege started.”
The Somalian administration has deployed special forces units — Gaashaan and Haramcad — to counter the militants. Security personnel are doing everything to rescue the hostages, an official said.
A statement on Parliament’s Facebook page read: “All members of parliament of both councils are being informed that today’s scheduled meeting has been postponed.”
(With inputs from AFP.)
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