Ambulances wait near the site where a bomb blasted in Mogadishu, Somalia, on January 31, 2021. (STRINGER / AFP)

MOGADISHU - Nine people died in an attack at a hotel on Sunday in the Somali capital of Mogadishu, and security forces ended the assault by al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab fighters early on Monday, a police spokesman said.

A suicide car bomb exploded early on Sunday evening and was followed by a shootout between al Shabaab militants and security forces at the Hotel Afrik. The fighting lasted into early Monday.

“The operation is over now. Nine people including four attackers died and over 10 civilians were injured. There is no electricity,” Sadik Ali, told reporters from the scene and via Facebook.

The latest attack started at 5:00 pm when a car packed with explosives exploded at the Hotel Afrik near a busy security checkpoint near Aden Adde International Airport.

Al-Shahab, which is fighting to overthrow the internationally-backed government, claimed responsibility for the latest attack through its media affiliates, saying its fighters were targeting government officials who were meeting in the facility

A police officer who requested anonymity told Xinhua that al-Shabab stormed inside the hotel after the first blast went off outside the hotel.

"I can confirm that five people were killed in the attack but will give full details later," said the police officer who declined to be named.

Al-Shahab, which is fighting to overthrow the internationally-backed government, claimed responsibility for the latest attack through its media affiliates, saying its fighters were targeting government officials who were meeting in the facility.

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Al Shabaab’s radio Al Andalus said fighters had gone into the hotel after a suicide car bomb. 

“A martyrdom operation by the mujahideen goes on at Hotel Afrik, which is a cover-up for officials from the apostate government,” it said.

Afrik Hotel is a popular hotel which is frequented by government officials and located near Mogadishu airport.

Witnesses said they could hear huge gunfire inside the hotel.

"We could hear heavy gunfire inside the Afrik Hotel, heavily armed government forces arrived at the scene," Ali Abdi, a witness told Xinhua.

Unconfirmed reports said the former State Minister of Defense is among the survivors of the attack and most of the occupants at the hotel have been rescued.

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Somalia is scheduled to hold a presidential election on Feb 8.

The insurgents have stepped up their assault against the government and African Union Mission in Somalia bases across south and central parts of the Horn of Africa nation. 

Separately, eight children died on Sunday in a town outside of the capital Mogadishu, after a mortar shell they had found exploded, a local official said, adding 11 others were injured.

The children were aged between four to 12, said Osman Nur, chairman of Shalambood, a town 90 km (56 miles) from Mogadishu.

READ MORE: Al-Qaeda ally claims Somalia blast that killed at least 90

With Reuters inputs