Al-Shabab Targets Somali Officials in Deadly Attack

Nairobi ,by,Mohammed Yusuf,20 februry 2015:-Somalia's deputy prime minister was wounded and at least 10 others killed in an attack by al-Shabab militants on a hotel in the capital, Mogadishu, officials said.

Witnesses say the first explosion occurred just after guests finished praying Friday at the Central Hotel near the National Theater. A second explosion followed and then gunfire.
"We are investigating who detonated the car and how. We are questioning hotel guards,"  security forces spokesman Qasin Ahmed Roble told reporters. He said a car filled with explosives was moved into the hotel during Friday prayers

Thick black smoke could be seen pouring from the the Central Hotel, which is popular with officials, including members of parliament and government ministers.

Mogadishu's deputy mayor, Mohamed Aden Guled, was among those killed in the attack, officials said.
Two former journalists were also among those killed. Mohamed Aden Guled, Deputy Mayor of Mogadishu was one of the founders of the first Independent Newspapers in Mogadishu – Xog-Ogaal – the only daily newspaper that has been operating in the city since 1991.  Abdishakur Mire Aden worked as a reporter in Puntland and later became a local Administration official. He wrote a book about Islamic movements in Somalia and was in Mogadishu doing research on a second book. Aden was a regular commentator on VOA Somali programs dealing with extremism issues.

Among the wounded were Somalia's deputy prime minister, Mohamed Omar Arte, and Transport and Aviation Minister Ali Ahmed Jama Jangali.  

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud condemned the attack via Twitter, calling the incident an "outrage" and saying his thoughts are with those hurt.

Al-Shabab claims responsibility
Al-Shabab has claimed responsibility for the attack. Despite losing more ground to African Union troops and Somali forces, the Islamist extremist group has carried out repeated attacks on government and civilian targets in Somalia in recent years as part of what it says is an effort to establish its version of Islamic law.
This is the second attack on a hotel in Mogadishu in less than a month. In late January, three people were killed when a suicide car bomber blew himself up at the gate of a hotel housing a Turkish delegation. None of the delegation was injured.

Somali officials recently began looking for ways to improve security within the city because more top foreign government officials have been visiting.

In the past few weeks the government has made significant changes to how security forces protect the population. There has been a heavier presence of security forces on Mogadishu streets, working to stop bomb and gun attacks and assassinations.