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Message: [QUOTE="Nehanda, post: 28095, member: 2262"] Security forces in Somalia stopped a deadly attack on a popular hotel in the city of Beledweyne. The attack lasted 24 hours. It started when Islamist fighters drove a car bomb into the hotel. Then, gunmen went inside and fought with security forces. The mayor of Beledweyne district, Omar Osman Calasow, told the BBC that the attackers were defeated. Some blew themselves up, and the police killed the others. The mayor said seven people died in the attack, but witnesses think more may have been killed. The attack happened at the Qahira Hotel. Politicians, security officials, and traditional elders were meeting there. They were planning an attack against the Islamist group al-Shabab in central Somalia. A police officer named Ali Mahad said most of the people at the meeting were saved. A lawmaker from Beledweyne, Dahir Amin Jesow, told the BBC that about seven gunmen attacked the hotel. We do not know how many people were hurt. The lawmaker said they are trying to send planes to fly injured people to Mogadishu for medical help. Parts of the hotel were destroyed as government forces and gunmen shot at each other. A shopkeeper named Ali Suleiman saw the attack. He told the Reuters news agency, "We first heard a huge blast followed by gunfire, then another blast was heard." Mayor Calasow said the attack ended on Wednesday morning. It caused a lot of damage. He said military officers, traditional elders, and soldiers were among those killed. Al-Shabab claimed it killed 20 people, including government officials and leaders of a pro-government clan militia. The president of Hirshabelle state, Ali Abdullahi Hussein, thanked the security forces for their bravery in stopping the extremist militants. He said, "Let us unite to complete the elimination of these brutal extremists." Beledweyne is an important place in the fight against al-Shabab. Somali forces and African Union peacekeepers keep fighting against the militants. Al-Shabab is still a big threat, even though there are ongoing military operations against them. The federal government said it is still investigating and has not said anything about the reported killing of the officials. [/QUOTE]

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