Gunmen have attacked a hotel close to the presidential palace in the Somali capital Mogadishu, according to local reporters. A loud explosion was heard in the capital on Tuesday near the popular Somali Youth League (SYL) hotel. Gunfire is reportedly continuing at the scene of the attack and smoke is rising from the site of the explosion.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, but Al-Shabaab, a militant group affiliated with Al-Qaeda, is likely to be suspected.
The militants have run a campaign of suicide bombings and armed attacks in 2016, including a previous assault on the SYL hotel in February in which at least nine people were killed.
Al-Shabaab is waging an insurgency against the Western-backed government in Mogadishu. Somalia is due to hold presidential and parliamentary elections in September and October, with tribal elders selecting MPs rather than a popular vote.