Al-Shabab fighters have attacked a hotel in Mogadishu, the Somali capital, reportedly killing scores of people.
The death toll in the attack on Tuesday has risen to 60 people, Al Jazeera's reporter in the city said.
The building is known to be hosting several Somali government officials and politicians.
The flare-up came after al-Shabab fighters declared a "massive" war against what they called "invaders" and attacked army barracks in several districts of Mogadishu on Monday.
At least 29 Somali civilians were killed in clashes between African Union-backed government troops and al-Shabab fighters in the fresh outbreak of violence, medics said.
There was an overnight lull before the battle resumed on Tuesday morning.
"The death toll increased from 11 to 29 civilians since yesterday," Ali Muse, head of Mogadishu ambulance services, said concerning Monday's fighting.
"Our medical teams have also collected 98 injured from a number of neighbourhoods."
Sheikh Ali Mohamoud Rage, al-Shabab's spokesman, had said on Monday that fighters were starting a new war against "invaders", an apparent reference to the 6,000 African Union troops deployed in the country to support government forces.
full story: aljazeera
The death toll in the attack on Tuesday has risen to 60 people, Al Jazeera's reporter in the city said.
The building is known to be hosting several Somali government officials and politicians.
The flare-up came after al-Shabab fighters declared a "massive" war against what they called "invaders" and attacked army barracks in several districts of Mogadishu on Monday.
At least 29 Somali civilians were killed in clashes between African Union-backed government troops and al-Shabab fighters in the fresh outbreak of violence, medics said.
There was an overnight lull before the battle resumed on Tuesday morning.
"The death toll increased from 11 to 29 civilians since yesterday," Ali Muse, head of Mogadishu ambulance services, said concerning Monday's fighting.
"Our medical teams have also collected 98 injured from a number of neighbourhoods."
Sheikh Ali Mohamoud Rage, al-Shabab's spokesman, had said on Monday that fighters were starting a new war against "invaders", an apparent reference to the 6,000 African Union troops deployed in the country to support government forces.
full story: aljazeera
