武裝分子襲擊索馬里酒店至少20人喪生

Somali rescue workers say at least 20 people were killed and more than 50 injured Wednesday in an attack by militants on a Mogadishu hotel.

Witnesses tell VOA's Somali Service that a truck bomb was detonated outside the Dayah Hotel just before 9 a.m. local time. Gunmen then stormed the damaged building, shooting at guests and exchanging gunfire with security forces.

Islamic militant group al-Shabab, which has carried out similar attacks on hotels and key installations in the city, claimed responsibility for the attack on its website.

About 40 minutes after the attack, a second explosion went off near the hotel. Witnesses told VOA's Somali Service the car which brought militant fighters to the hotel was detonated, possibly by remote control.

At least seven journalists were among those injured in the second explosion, according to Mohamed Ibrahim Moalimu, Secretary General of National Union of Somali Journalists.索馬里救護人員表示，武裝分子星期三對索馬里首都摩加迪沙的一間酒店發動襲擊，造成至少20人死亡，50餘人受傷。

目擊者告訴美國之音索馬里語言組說，當地時間早上近九點時，達亞酒店外一輛卡車上的炸彈被引爆，槍手隨即衝擊酒店，對酒店建築造成破壞，向酒店客人開槍，並與保安人員交火。

索馬里青年黨在網站上宣稱對此次襲擊負責。該組織此前曾對摩加迪沙的酒店和地標建築實施過類似襲擊。

炸彈爆炸大約40分鐘後，酒店外又發生了第二次爆炸。目擊者告訴美國之音索馬里語言組說，武裝分子搭乘的汽車被炸燬，可能是通過遙控起爆。

索馬里記者全國聯盟祕書長穆罕默德·易卜拉欣·莫阿利穆說，第二次爆炸至少造成7名記者受傷。