At least a dozen people have been killed at a hotel in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, in an attack by Al-Shabaab Islamic militants.

Two car bombs were detonated outside the Sahafi Hotel compound. Gunmen then stormed the hotel.

Authorities regained control of the hotel after a gun battle that lasted several hours.

Photojournalist Feisal Omar, who was wounded in the blast, said: “I was taking photos when a car full of explosives went off beside me.”

“I fell on the ground and saw part of my body bleeding. I was with another journalist who was killed in the attack. Luckily, I survived, and my condition is improving,” Omar continued.

A lawmaker and a former military commander were also among the victims, police said.

Al-Shabaab is waging an insurgency to topple Somalia’s Western-backed government.