Explosion and gunfire rock hotel at popular beach in Somalia’s capital, witnesses say

MOGADISHU, Somalia — An explosion and gunfire rocked a hotel by the beach in Somalia’s capital city of Mogadishu, and security forces rushed to the scene, authorities and witnesses said Friday night.

The state-owned Somali National News Agency said security forces had “neutralized the attackers.” There was no immediate word on deaths and injuries.

Al-Qaida’s East Africa affiliate, al-Shabab, said through its radio that its fighters carried out the attack.

Lido Beach, a popular area in Mogadishu, is bustling on Friday nights as Somalis enjoy their weekend.

A witness, Mohamud Moalim, told The Associated Press in a phone call that he saw an attacker wearing an explosive vest moments before the man “blew himself up next to the beach-view hotel.”

Moalim said some of his friends who were with him at the hotel were killed and others were wounded.

Another witness, Abdisalam Adam, told AP that he “saw many people lying on the ground” and had helped take some injured people to the hospital.

The Lido Beach area has in the past been targeted by militants allied to al-Shabab. The most recent attack last year resulted in nine people being killed.