Al Shabaab car bomber strikes hotel in Somali capital, at least 15 dead

Wrecked cars burn at the scene of a terror attack at the Ambassador Hotel, after a car bomb exploded on June 1, 2016 at a top Mogadishu hotel that houses several MPs, killing several people, and followed by a gun battle. AFP PHOTO

A suicide car bomber crashed into a gate outside a hotel frequented by lawmakers in the centre of the Somali capital of Mogadishu on Wednesday and the attack was followed by gunfire, killing 15 people, police said.

Police said among the dead were two lawmakers. They had previously said at least 10 people were killed. Residents and a Reuters witness said gunfire could be heard in the area around the hotel late into the night.