Somali militants launch suicide attack, take hostages at Mogadishu hotel

A group of militants suspected to be from Somalia's al Shabaab Islamist terrorist organization launched an attack on a hotel popular among government officials in the country's capital of Mogadishu on Saturday.

The assault began when a suicide bomber detonated a vehicle by the gate of Hotel Nasa Hablod, after which additional fighters rushed inside the building, firing weapons. "We attacked the hotel which was frequented by the apostate government members," an al Shabaab spokesman told Reuters.

At least seven people have died in the raid so far, including hotel workers and civilians. "They were shooting at everyone they could see," said an eyewitness named Ali Mohamud. "I escaped through the back door," he added.

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Local law enforcement have arrived at the hotel, where they have rescued people through the rear entrance and killed at least two of the terrorists. The fighters took an unknown number of hostages inside the building.