The President of Somalia stated on Tuesday night that the country is ready for an all-out war against the al-Shabaab terrorist group.

Iran PressAfrica: The attack, which began on Friday night, was the biggest to hit Somalia's capital since Mohamud took office in June and underscored the challenge of trying to crush the 15-year insurgency by the Al-Qaeda-linked group.

At least 21 people died and 117 others were wounded in the gun and bomb attack targeting the popular Hayat Hotel, with the fatalities including Norwegian citizens, according to Norway's government.

Friday's attack, which lasted several hours and sparked an extensive police operation, is the first of this magnitude since Somali President Hassan Shaykh Mohamud took office in early June. He had previously held the same post on another occasion, between 2012 and 2016.

Somali President Hassan Shaykh Mohamud announced Tuesday the start of an "all-out" war on the Al Shabaab terrorist group, responsible for Friday's assault on a Mogadishu hotel that killed at least 21 people.

The president headed a meeting of the main security authorities and, in his first public statement since the attack on the Hayat Hotel, advocated launching a relentless fight against a group that continues to control areas of southern and central Somalia. 219

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