Beijing condemns Somali attack, mourns deaths

Somali government soldiers and journalists stand near a car destroyed in front of the Jazeera hotel after an attack in Somalia's capital Mogadishu, July 26, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

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China embassy damaged in Somali hotel blast, injuries reported

A hotel blast in the Somali capital on Sunday has killed 15 people and injured dozens of others, sources said, adding that the Chinese Embassy in Somalia was partially damaged and that Chinese nationals are among the injured.

The Chinese Embassy in Somalia, whose offices are in the attacked Jazera hotel, said Monday that some of its injured Chinese staffers were receiving treatment, but did not give the exact number of the injured. It also said some of its rooms were also damaged in the blast.

Previous report by Associated Press said one Chinese diplomat was killed.

Mogadishu police officer Abdulle Mohamed told Xinhua earlier that a suicide bomber detonated his car at the gate of the Jazera hotel, killing 15 people, most of whom were civilians.

Located near Mogadishu international airport, the six-story Jazera hotel is a luxury hotel in the Somali capital, which houses some foreign embassies and sometimes hosts high-level government meetings.

"This is really scary - destroying the Jazeera hotel like this means no blast walls can make anyone safe," said bystander Yusuf Mohammed. The use of huge truck bombs is a relatively new phenomenon and throws into doubt whether any place in the capital is now adequately protected.

Somalia-based militant group Al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was a revenge for the recent operation in Dinsoor and Bardhere regions of southern Somalia by the African Union and Somali forces.