Hotel attacked by extremists, 12 die

Two bombs ripped into a hotel in Mogadishu, Somalia, on Sunday, and security forces fought Islamist al-Shabaab gunmen who stormed the building and occupied it for hours afterward, police and witnesses said. At least 12 people were killed.

Al-Shabaab, which has frequently launched attacks in Mogadishu in its bid to topple the Western-backed government, claimed responsibility for the assault on the Sahafi Hotel, where government officials and lawmakers stay.

"Mujahedeen (fighters) entered and took over Sahafi Hotel where enemies lived," said Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, al-Shabaab's military operations spokesman.