About 26 dead as hotel attacked in Somalia

The death toll from the attack on a hotel in Somalia's port city of Kismayu has risen to 26, with Kenyans, Americans, a Briton and Tanzanians among the dead, Jubbaland region's president said on Saturday.

A presidential candidate for upcoming regional elections was also killed in the assault by four militants, Jubbaland president Ahmed Mohamed said in a statement. At least two journalists and a UN agency staff member were also reported to have been killed.

Police officer Major Mohamed Abdi earlier told Reuters that security forces had ended the overnight attack.

Takfiri group al-Shabab, which is trying to topple Somalia's central government, on Friday claimed responsibility for the attack, which saw fighters storm the hotel after targeting it with a car bomb while local elders and lawmakers were meeting to discuss the elections.

Regional president Mohamed said that three Kenyans, one Briton, two Americans and three Tanzanians were among those killed.

"Among the dead was also a Jubbaland presidential candidate named Shuuriye. Four militants attacked the hotel. One of them was the suicide car bomber, two were shot dead and one was captured alive by Jubbaland security forces," he said.

He added that 56 people had been wounded in the attack, including two Chinese citizens.

Police had said earlier all the attackers had been killed.

The Somalia office of the UN's International Organization for Migration also said on Twitter one of its local staff members, Abdifatah Mohamed, was among those killed.

SADO Somalia, a local non-governmental organization, also said on Twitter its executive director Abdullahi Isse Abdulle had been killed in the attack.

SS