Militants Attack Hotel in Somali Port City of Kismayo

Somali security officials gather at the scene of an attack, outside the Hayat Hotel in Mogadishu, Somalia, 20 August 2022. (EPA)
Somali security officials gather at the scene of an attack, outside the Hayat Hotel in Mogadishu, Somalia, 20 August 2022. (EPA)
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Militants Attack Hotel in Somali Port City of Kismayo

Somali security officials gather at the scene of an attack, outside the Hayat Hotel in Mogadishu, Somalia, 20 August 2022. (EPA)
Somali security officials gather at the scene of an attack, outside the Hayat Hotel in Mogadishu, Somalia, 20 August 2022. (EPA)

Gunmen stormed a hotel in the center of the Somali port city of Kismayo on Sunday, shortly after an explosives-packed car exploded at the hotel's gates, police said.

Officials said gunmen were still inside the Tawakal Hotel and security forces were on the scene. The extremist group al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack.

The attack began when a car driven by a suicide bomber rammed the entrance gate of the hotel and then exploded, police officer Abshir Omar told The Associated Press by phone. A number of small businesses along the street were destroyed.

Some government officials and traditional elders were eating lunch in the hotel at the time of the explosion, he said.

There was no immediate word on casualties.

Mohamed Nasi Guled, a senior police official in Jubaland State, said three attackers entered the hotel's premises. He vowed security forces would end the attack.

The hotel is popular as a meeting place for government officials. Kismayo is located about 500 kilometers (310 miles) from the Somali capital, Mogadishu. Al-Shabab is believed to have a strong presence in the areas surrounding Kismayo, the largest city and commercial capital of Jubaland State.

Al-Shabab, which has ties with al-Qaida, regularly carries out attacks in the Horn of Africa nation.



Monsoon Floods Sweep Away 18 People and Main Bridge Linking Nepal to China

Monsoon Floods Sweep Away 18 People and Main Bridge Linking Nepal to China
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Monsoon Floods Sweep Away 18 People and Main Bridge Linking Nepal to China

Monsoon Floods Sweep Away 18 People and Main Bridge Linking Nepal to China

A mountain river flooded by monsoon rains swept away the main bridge connecting Nepal with China on Tuesday, leaving 18 people missing, Nepali authorities said.

Rescue efforts were underway and an army helicopter was able to lift people stranded by the flooding. Police said 95 rescuers were already at the area and more are expected to join in rescue efforts, The Associated Press reported.

The flooding on the Bhotekoshi River destroyed the Friendship Bridge at Rasuwagadi, which is 120 kilometers (75 miles) north of the capital, Kathmandu.

Several houses and trucks that were parked at the border for customs inspections also were swept away. Hundreds of electric vehicles imported from China had been parked at the border point.

The 18 missing are 12 Nepali citizens and six Chinese nationals, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority.

The Chinese along with eight Nepalis were workers at a Chinese-assisted construction project on the Nepali side of the border, according to the Chinese Embassy in Nepal, quoted by state media.

The destruction of the bridge has halted all trade from China to Nepal through this route. The longer alternative is for goods to be shipped from China to India and then brought overland to Nepal.

Monsoon rains that begin in June and end in September often cause severe flooding in Nepal, disrupting infrastructure and endangering lives.