location: Mogadishu - Hamar Weyne
notes: Two al Shabaab fighters attacked SYL Hotel in Xamar Weyne District in the afternoon of 22/01. The attack started with a VBIED which was driven to the gate of the hotel by suicide bomber. Another al Shabaab fighter engaged in fierce gun battle with the security forces at the hotel but were subsequently killed. The hotel is the venue where the recent IGAD conference was held. The complex attack against the hotel is believed to be related to a planned visit to Mogadishu by the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, reportedly expected to be hosted in the same hotel.
target_text: location: Mogadishu - Hamar Weyne, fatalities: 5