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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)
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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.

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Suspected Mastermind of French Crypto Kidnappings Held in Morocco

Badiss Mohammed Bajjou was wanted by French authorities over a spate of kidnappings (Handout) - AFP
Badiss Mohammed Bajjou was wanted by French authorities over a spate of kidnappings (Handout) - AFP
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Suspected Mastermind of French Crypto Kidnappings Held in Morocco

Badiss Mohammed Bajjou was wanted by French authorities over a spate of kidnappings (Handout) - AFP
Badiss Mohammed Bajjou was wanted by French authorities over a spate of kidnappings (Handout) - AFP

A 24-year-old Franco-Moroccan man suspected of masterminding a series of kidnappings targeting cryptocurrency entrepreneurs in France has been arrested in Morocco, France said.

Badiss Mohamed Amide Bajjou was wanted by the French authorities and was the subject of an Interpol red notice for "arrest, kidnapping, false imprisonment or arbitrary detention of a hostage."

The suspect was arrested in the northern Moroccan city of Tangier, according to a statement from the country's General Directorate for National Security carried by Moroccan state news agency MAP.

France has been shaken by a series of kidnappings and attempted abductions targeting cryptocurrency bosses and their families in recent months, prompting one prominent crypto entrepreneur to call on authorities to "stop the Mexicanisation" of the country, AFP reported.

"I sincerely thank Morocco for this arrest, which demonstrates excellent judicial cooperation between our two countries, particularly in the fight against organised crime," French Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin said on X.

A native of Le Chesnay west of Paris, Bajjou is suspected of being one of the masterminds behind the high-profile kidnapping in January of French crypto boss David Balland and his partner, according to French daily Le Parisien.

Balland co-founded the crypto firm Ledger, valued at the time at more than $1 billion. Balland's finger was cut off by his kidnappers, who demanded a hefty ransom.

Last week French authorities charged 25 people, including six minors, over the series of kidnappings and attempted abductions.

The crimes have become a major embarrassment for the French government and have sparked concern about the security of wealthy crypto tycoons, who have notched up immense fortunes from the booming business.

In May, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau held an emergency meeting with cryptocurrency leaders, with the ministry announcing plans to bolster their security.