Four militants also died in heavy fighting.Government security official Mohamed Guhad said the gunmen who attacked the Wehliya Hotel were Al Shabaab militants, adding that fighting continued in the nearby Siyaad hotel near the presidential palace and the well-guarded government district, where gunmen launched a simultaneous attack.
Al Shabaab have confirmed responsibility for the attacks.Both hotels are fortified and popular with government workers, including politicians from the parliament nearby.
Al Shabaab insurgents have carried out repeated attacks in the area, and messages posted on websites close to the Al Qaeda-linked group said the Islamists had carried out the hotel raids.
