Six politicians among 31 killed in Somali hotel attack

The Somali government says 31 people were killed during an attack by a suicide bomber and gunmen on a Mogadishu hotel today.

Among the dead are six members of parliament.

The militant group al-Shabab claimed responsibility for this morning’s attack on the Muna Hotel.

A statement from the government said some attackers were dressed as security forces.

Somalia’s information minister called the attack “a deplorable act in this holy month of Ramadan”.

It came one day after an al-Shabab spokesman threatened a massive war against what he labelled invaders, an apparent reference to the 6,000 African Union troops in Mogadishu.