Somalia forces end extremist siege of hotel, 15 killed

Mogadishu: Officials say Somali security forces have ended a siege by extremist gunmen which killed least 15 people, including two members of parliament, at a hotel in the Somali capital after an all-night gunfight.

Captain Mohamed Hussein, a senior Somali police officer, said today that nine bodies were removed from the hotel after troops killed the last remaining assailants.

Ahmed Mohamed, a nurse at Madina hospital in Mogadishu, said that six people out of 40 wounded in the attack died from their wounds.

The attack came on the eve of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, during which extremists often increase attacks in this volatile East African country. Al-Shabab, an al-Qaeda affiliate, is attempting to oust Somalia's western backed government that is bolstered by African Union troops.