At least 17 people were killed when suicide attackers set off two car bombs at a hotel near the headquarters of Somalia’s Criminal Investigations Department (CID) in Mogadishu on Friday.
“So far we have confirmed 17 civilians dead,” Ali Nur, a police officer in the city, said. “They were traveling in public vehicles at the scene when the blasts and gunfire occurred.”
Guards at Hotel Sahafi and CID officers opened fire after the blasts, police said. About 20 minutes later, a third explosion hit the busy street, according to witnesses.
Police officer Mohammed Hussein said that the target of the attack was Hotel Sahafi, which is just opposite the CID office.
No group immediately claimed responsibility, but Islamists from the Al Qaeda-linked Al Shabaab group have mounted regular attacks in the capital.