Islamic militants attack hotel in Somalia

The Somali-based terror group al-Shabaab is claiming responsibility for an attack in the country’s capital today that left at least 14 dead and many others wounded.

The attack at the SYL hotel in Mogadishu began when a suicide bomber ran his car into the security barricades and blew himself up. In the confusion that followed the explosion, four gunmen stormed the hotel entrance, opening fire on security guards and civilians. At least nine bystanders were killed, along with the five attackers.

According to officials, the gunmen did not make it past the last in a series of security checkpoints that protected the building and grounds.

About 30 minutes later, another car bomb exploded at a popular public garden near the hotel. Officials have not yet said whether anyone was hurt in that attack.

Al-Shabaab, which has links to al-Qaeda, has launched bold terror attacks in recent years, the most deadly of which was on the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2013. Sixty-seven people died in that attack. The group has claimed attacks in three of the five countries contributing troops to the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.