Al-Shabab fighters stormed a hotel in the capital of the semi-autonomous Puntland region killing four guards, while two of the attackers also died, a senior Somali official stated.
The attack occurred in Bosasso early on Wednesday, Yusuf Mohamed, the governor of Bari region, told Reuters news agency.
"Three al-Shabab fighters stormed the International Village Hotel this morning. Four guards and two of the attackers died in the fighting," he stated.
"Fortunately the attackers did not enter the rooms. The fighting took place inside the compound. A third fighter escaped and we are pursuing him. All the people in the hotel are safe."
Attacks are not common in the northern parts of Somalia, unlike in the south where al-Shabab is waging a deadly war against the Somali government and the African Union forces bolstering it.
Aljazeera