Africa

Home page

Africa

Death toll from Somalia's Kismayu hotel attack rises to 26 - UPDATED

13 July 2019 12:43 (UTC +04:00)

The death toll from Somalia’s Kismayu hotel attack on Friday has risen to 26, including Kenyans, Americans, a Briton and Tanzanians, Jubbaland region’s president said on Saturday, APA reports citing Reuters.

A presidential candidate for upcoming regional elections was also killed in the attack, carried out by al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab, Jubbaland president Ahmed Mohamed said in a statement.

Police in Kismayu had earlier put the toll at 13.

***10:06

At least seven people have been killed in an attack on a hotel in southern Somalia, including Canadian-Somali TV journalist Hodan Nalayeh, APA reports citing BBC.

Officials and survivors say a suicide bomber rammed a car containing explosives into the Asasey hotel in the port of Kismayo, and gunmen then stormed the building.

Nalayeh and her husband are among those reported to have been killed.

Islamist group al-Shabab has claimed responsibility for the attack.