Somalia fires Police and Intelligence Chiefs after hotel siege

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The Council of Ministers of the Federal Government of Somalia have on Sunday sacked the Police and Intelligence Chiefs during an emergency meeting in Mogadishu, Garowe Online reports.

The Ministers have voted in favor of the dismissal of the head of National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) Abdullahi Mohamed Ali known as "Sanbalolshe" and Police commander, Gen Abdihakim Dahir Said.

The decision came after a deadly night-long siege at Naso Hablod 2 hotel, near the Presidential Palace, Villa Somalia in the capital by Al Shabaab attackers who detonated two car bomb before storming the building.

The death toll from the hotel attack has jumped to at least 27 people, including the Minister of Interior for Southwest State Madoobe Nuunow and former member of Parliament Abdinasir Gaarane.

The latest toll was given by Somalia's Internal Security Minister Mohamed Abukar Islow while briefing the cabinet meeting about the hotel attack casualties before the cabinet passed the dismissal of Security Chiefs.

Islow said five people had so far been arrested in connection with the October 14 attack by the security forces and they are currently being interrogated at Intelligence detention center in the capital.

The attack on Naso Hablod 2 comes two weeks after Mogadishu witnessed its deadliest-ever terrorist attack in which at least 358 people were killed in a huge truck bombing in Mogadishu's Zoobe junction, Oct 14.

GAROWE ONLINE