Suspected Somali extremists attack restaurant in Mogadishu

Latest:The assailants may have taken some hostages inside the Liido Seafood restaurant, which is popular with Mogadishu’s elite and government officials, police said.

Update 7.30pm:The assailants may have taken some hostages inside the Liido Seafood restaurant, which is popular with Mogadishu’s elite and government officials, police said.

“The operation (to dislodge the attackers) is ongoing now. The (attackers) are still inside and fighting our troops,” a spokesman said from the scene of the attack as gunfire rang out in the background.

He said he had counted at least three bodies outside the restaurant. An unknown number of people are still trapped inside the restaurant, he said.

Witnesses said that gunmen shouted “Allahu akbar,” the Arabic phrase for “God is great,” and entered the restaurant from the direction of the beach as clients, sitting behind razor wire, watched the seashore.

“They randomly fired at the people sitting near the beach before entering the restaurant,” said witness Ahmed Nur, who was strolling along on the shoreline when the attack happened.

One Twitter user has claimed: "Al-Shabaab makes a come back to Twitter after >2 years of hiatus."

Al-Shabaab makes a come back to Twitter after >2 years of hiatus. The group attacked a popular beach in Mogadishu. pic.twitter.com/W8tefqZCmX

— Mukhtar M. Ibrahim (@mukhtaryare) January 21, 2016

The alleged Al-Shabaab Twitter account has tweeted, "Kenyan troops are inside our country- ruthless KDF continue massacring our people inside Somalia & they expect us to remain silent. there's noway you massacre our people & we leave your people & your country safe - it's our warning that it's high time you pull out from Somalia before more & more deadly attacks are carried out inside your country - Wabilahi Towfiq. #JihadDispatches" (sic)

According to RT, police say that the "car bomb exploded at beach café entrance".

One twitter user states: "Gunfire subsides, for now. #AlShabaab gunmen in "full control" of of Beach view hotel in #Mogadishu, heavy casualties feared. #Somalia"

Previous:Gunmen have fought their way into a restaurant near a beach in Mogadishu after a suicide car bomber rammed the gates of the building, according to a Somali police official.

Captain Mohamed Hussein said he believes the attackers have taken some hostages inside the restaurant, which is popular with the city’s elite and government officials.

He said the attackers opened fire on the customers of the restaurant, known as Liido Seafood, on Thursday evening before storming the building.

It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the ongoing attack, which bore the hallmarks of the Islamic extremist group al-Shabab.

Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for an attack on Kenyan peacekeepers in south-western Somalia last week.