A suicide car bomber crashed his vehicle into a hotel patronized by government officials and politicians in the capital of Somalia, Mogadishu, on Wednesday, killing 15 people.

According to police officials, the blast was followed by gunfire. Al-Qaeda affiliated militants, al Shabaab, have claimed responsibility for the attack. The hotel was identified as Hotel Ambassador. They Islamic extremist group said in a statement that they targeted members of the apostate government and noted that they have some militants inside the area. The statement's validity has not been verified yet.

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It is possible that the bombing was carried out because Somali security forces recently killed 17 al Shabaab fighters including the head of their intelligence unit. Also, among the dead is a man suspected of organizing a deadly attack on Garissa University back in 2015 that killed 148 people.

Colonel Ali Mohamad with the Mogadishu police said that the gate of the Hotel Ambassador was rammed by the vehicle. Initially, Somali authorities only confirmed three people dead, but another police officer, Major Ibrahim Hassan, said that the death toll is expected to rise.

Hassan added that lawmakers Mohamud Mohamed and Abdullahi Jamac died in the hotel as they were living there. Other lawmakers were rescued from the blast. Aside from the 15 deaths, 20 injuries were also recorded.

Hotel Ambassador is in Maka Al Mukaram street; a major passage that has hotels, restaurants, and banks. It is unclear if people from the other establishments on the street were injured in the attack.

Somalian President Hassan sheikh Mohamud has sent his condolences to the families of the lawmakers and other people killed in the "barbaric attack." "These barbaric attacks are aimed to frighten citizens so that they do not support governance and peace and that will never happen," he added.

Al Shabaab wants to implement strict Islamic rule throughout Somalia. Last February, al Shabaab fighters bombed the gate of a popular park also in Somalia's capital, killing nine. In January, another attack was carried out on a beach-front restaurant killing 17.

TagsAl Shabaab, Somali capital, suicide car bomber, lawmakers, Hotel Ambassador, 15 dead, militants, attack