Al-Shabaab militants have claimed responsibility for two explosions that rocked the Somali capital of Mogadishu Wednesday, killing at least five people.
The attackers detonated a truck bomb and then stormed the Daya hotel, which is near the country’s parliament building and popular with both lawmakers and government officials, Somali Police Major Ahmed Ibrahim told CNN.
A second explosion was heard nearby about 15 minutes later, and gunfire is still ongoing. Ibrahim said the second explosion was caused by the first one.
Ali Hajji, the head nurse at the nearby Hayad hospital, says the death toll is likely to rise because of the number of people seriously injured.
The al Qaeda-linked terror group Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the bombings in a statement.
Somalia, one of the poorest countries in the world, descended into civil war after dictator Siad Barre was overthrown in 1991.
Rival clan leaders and extremist groups such as Al-Shabaab took advantage of the power vacuum, growing in size and strength.
The group has seen its power wane in recent years, thanks in part to an African Union coalition dedicated to peacekeeping in the country.
But Mogadishu is subject to attacks on a frequent basis. Most recently, a car bomb in the city killed 20 people in December.