Suicide car bomb targets Mogadishu hotel as Turks meet on eve of Erdo?an visit

A suicide car bomb exploded at the gate of a Mogadishu hotel where Turkish delegates were meeting on Jan. 22, a day ahead of a visit by President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an to the Somali capital.
 
"The Turkish delegates are safe inside the hotel," police captain Farah Nur told Reuters. "The hotel was busy."

Sources in the hotel, situated close to the heavily-fortified presidential palace, said there were around 70 members of a Turkish delegation in the hotel at the time.

"Five people were killed in the attack, among them three security guards," police official Mohamed Adan said., according to AFP.

"The attacker drove a car loaded with explosives aiming at the gate of the hotel but could not manage to reach inside. The explosion destroyed the perimeter partially."       

Witnesses said they saw a car speeding towards the gate of the hotel.
      
"I saw the speeding along the main road and the driver turned into the Hotel SYL gate. There was huge explosion, smoke and shrapnel. Several people were down on the ground," said Abdukadir Munin.

The area around the hotel was quickly sealed off and police fired shots to keep away onlookers, witnesses said.

Al Shabaab militants claimed the responsibility of the attack.

In Ankara, Turkish officials said there were no casualties among the Turkish delegation and Erdo?an's visit would go ahead.

Speaking at a press conference in Davos, Switzerland, minutes after the attack, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu said that an investigation had been launched to find out whether the attack "directly targeted" the Turkish delegation.

"There can be risks, but Turkey's decisive attitude will not change," Davuto?lu added, stressing that Erdo?an...