At least 28 dead in militant attack on Mogadishu hotel

At least 28 people were killed on Wednesday in a coordinated militant attack on a hotel in Somalia's capital Mogadishu.

The attackers rammed an explosive-laden car into the gate of Dayah Hotel, after which armed men stormed into the building and opened fire.

Security forces engaged the attackers and secured the hotel.

"We have confirmed 28 people died and 43 others injured in the two blasts at the hotel," Security Minister Abdirizak Umar said.

Survivors described chaotic scenes in which hotel residents hid themselves under beds and others jumped out of windows of the four-storey building to escape the assault.

Dozens of people, including lawmakers, were thought to have been staying at the hotel at the time of the attack, police said.

Al Shabaab attack?

A radio station with links to al Shabaab said the militant group was behind the attack.

Al Shabaab has carried out a series of attacks in Mogadishu in recent months with the apparent aim of destabilising the government.

The group also claimed responsibility for a roadside bomb on Tuesday that killed four soldiers and wounded five others outside a military camp in a town near the Somali capital.