Somalia: Gunmen Shoot Dead 12 in Mogadishu Hayat Hotel

At least 12 people were killed in an attack when Islamic militants stormed a hotel in Somalia's capital late Friday. Several other people were injured, and security forces rescued a large number of people, including children, from the scene of the attack at Mogadishu's Hayat Hotel, the intelligence office told Reuters.

The attack began with explosions outside the hotel before gunmen entered. Early Saturday, gunfire could still be heard as security forces attempted to apprehend the last gunmen, who were believed to be holed up in the hotel. It was unclear how many militants remained on the top floor of the hotel.

The Islamic extremist group al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack, which was the latest in a series of attacks on locations frequented by government officials.

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For more than a decade, Al Shabaab has been fighting to remove the Somali government and wants to impose its own rules based on a strict interpretation of Islamic law.

The Hayat Hotel is a popular hangout for lawmakers and other government officials, but there was no word on whether any of them were caught up in the siege.