• Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabab militants launched the attack on the hotel on Friday, in an operation lasting 30 hours

Gobran Mohamed

CAIRO: Egypt has expressed its strong condemnation of the terrorist attack that targeted a hotel in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, which killed at least 21 people.

The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement: “Egypt affirms its full solidarity with Somalia in this painful affliction, stressing its total rejection of all forms of violence, extremism and terrorism.”

Police and the military in Mogadishu announced on Sunday that Somali forces had concluded a siege at the Hayat and had freed 106 people, including women and children, according to Reuters.

Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabab militants launched the attack on the hotel on Friday, in an operation lasting 30 hours.

On Sunday morning, despite calm prevailing, roads remained closed amid a heavy security presence, and emergency personnel and bomb disposal experts sought to clear the building and remove the rubble.

The hotel building was badly damaged during the exchange of fire between government forces and the militants, which led to its collapse in parts and left many worried about relatives who were inside when the attack began.

The hotel was a popular meeting place for government officials and had dozens of people inside when armed men stormed it.

Somalia’s National Police Commander Maj. Gen. Hassan Abdi Mohamed confirmed that security forces had successfully ended the attack, according to the Somali National News Agency.

“It is unfortunate that innocent civilians were killed at the scene of the accident,” he added.

Al-Shabab confirmed in a statement that the group had taken hostages during the siege, including government and security officials.

The attack is the largest Mogadishu has seen since the election of the new Somali president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, in May.