A car bomb detonated at the Cairo Hotel in Beledweyne, Somalia, triggering a prolonged militant assault Tuesday.
Heavy gunfire echoed as Somali security forces engaged attackers late into the day.
The hotel, a known gathering place for traditional elders and military officials, became the epicenter of the violence.
Al-Shabab, an al-Qaida-affiliated group, claimed responsibility for the attack.
The bombing and subsequent assault targeted individuals coordinating the government’s offensive against the militant group.
Beledweyne, a strategic city in the Hiran region, lies approximately 335 kilometers north of Mogadishu.
Conflicting reports emerged regarding the death toll. Resident Muhsin Abdullahi reported six fatalities, including two prominent traditional elders.
Conversely, witness Hussein Jeelle Raage claimed eleven deaths, including three family members.
Social media footage depicted thick smoke billowing from the heavily damaged hotel.
Al-Shabab regularly conducts bombings and assaults against government and military targets in Somalia.
The group, despite ongoing military operations, maintains control over rural regions, posing a persistent threat to the nation.