Five people were killed in the attack and Somali security forces say they killed five militants.

This is the third time in recent years that the hotel near the presidential palace in Mogadishu has been attacked.

Security forces rescued 85 people from the building that was besieged for seven hours.

The terrorists’ victims included a former judge and two security personnel.

Former army special forces commander Abdirahman Omaar Jeeni Qaar was in the hotel when it was attacked. He says he saw some of the terrorists dressed in Somali army uniform  throwing grenades and firing as the security forces.

He was saved by his bodyguards

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