Casualties feared after explosion at hotel in Somalia's Kismayo

There was a car bomb explosion at a hotel in Kismayo city of Somalia which was followed by gunshots, according to media reports. The attack at Asaseey hotel where elders and MPs were supposedly meeting has been claimed by al Qaeda affiliated Al Shabab militant group. There are dead bodies inside the hotel, according to unconfirmed reports. Earlier there were reports claiming that the attack has taken the life of Senator Ahmed Hashi but according to the verified Twitter account of a member of Somali Federal Parliament the senator was saved.

Spoke with sen. Ahmed Hashi in Kismayo, he & other federal MPs who were residing at Asaseey hotel r ok & many others were saved. There is now one remaining Al-Shabab attacker who is using hand grenade. May Allah protect us from the barbaric attacks of this evil organization

— Abdirizak Mohamed MP (@AbdirizakOm) July 12, 2019

The port city of Kismayo is considered as a major source of revenue and one of the safest place in Somalia.