Al-Shabaab overnight siege of Mogadishu hotel ends

A siege by Al-Shabaab Islamist militants at a popular hotel near the presidential palace in the Somali capital Mogadishu ended on Friday after more than 13 hours with all the gunmen killed, a police officer told AFP. Armed fighters had stormed the SYL hotel in a hail of bullets late on Thursday, with Al-Shabaab claiming responsibility in a brief statement.