UN envoy slams deadly terrorist attack in Somalia

The special representative of the UN secretary-general in Somalia, Michael Keating, strongly condemned a truck bombing of the SYL Hotel in Mogadishu, the Somali capital, that killed at least 13 people and injured more than 20 others, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters here Wednesday.

Keating said that "the SYL Hotel provides powerful evidence of the extraordinary resilience of the Somali people, who refuse to be cowed by al-Shabaab's campaign of terror."

The bombing marked the third such attack on the SYL Hotel since the beginning of 2015, Dujarric noted.

"On each previous occasion, its management and staff have repaired the damage and reopened its doors for business in short order," Keating said.

Meanwhile, Keating also expressed condolences to the families of the victims and wished the injured a full and speedy recovery.

According to a statement issued by the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), at the time of the blast on Tuesday, several senior government officials and members of the Horn of Africa country's federal parliament were attending a meeting inside the hotel, which is located near the presidential palace and the federal parliament building, but none were among the fatalities.

The militant group Al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility for the attack. UNSOM highlighted that greater loss of life was averted as security guards halted the explosives-laden vehicle as it was approaching one of the gates. Endit