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. (Reporting by Abdi Sheikh; Writing by George Obulutsa; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)