Twin bombings by the Islamist group al-Shabaab at a hotel in the Somali capital on Friday killed more than 20 people, including three politicians, security officials said according to dpa. The fatalities included two lawmakers and Mogadishu deputy mayor Mohamed Adan Gulled Aano-geel. Deputy Prime Minister Mohamed Omar Arte, Air Transport Minister Ali Ahmed Jama Jangali and Ports Minister Nur Farah Hersi were among a total of more than 30 people who were injured. The dead and injured victims were believed to include officials, soldiers and hotel employees. "There were two blasts on a hotel where senior government officials and other members of the elite were preparing to perform Friday prayers at a mosque inside the hotel," government spokesman Mohamed Hayir Maareeye said. "A car laden with explosives which was parked inside the hotel exploded," said senior security official Mohamed Hassan, adding that it was activated by remote control. The car bombing was followed by a suicide bombing. A security official who did not want to be named told dpa that the car bomb may have been set off by the same person who then blew himself up. "Our initial investigation suggests that a person who has been living in this same hotel for about a month could be the attacker in both blasts," the source said. An al-Shabaab spokesman told pro-insurgent radio Andalus that the group had carried out the bombings.
