Twin suicide bombers hit Somali president's hotel

MOGADISHU - Twin suicide explosions outside hotel where new Somali president was staying left three people dead and three others injured Wednesday, police and witnesses said.

Somalia's newly elected President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud gestures, surrounded by his security guards, during a news conference at Jazeera Palace hotel in Mogadishu Sept 12, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

The newly-elected president Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud was in a meeting with Kenyan Foreign Minister Sam Ongeri at the time of the explosion, and both were unharmed, police officer Mohamed Mumin told Xinhua.

Spokesman for African Union peacekeeping Mission in Somalia (AIMSOM), Ali Houmed, said one of the dead was an AMISOM soldier and three others were also injured in the attack.

"One of our soldiers is among the dead while three others were injured," Ali houmed, spokesman for AMISOM told Xinhua.

AMISOM spokesman said the one of the attackers armed with a gun approached security guards at the hotel entrance and was shot dead by security guards at the gate.

A civilian and one Somali government soldier was also killed in the suicide blast that targeted Jazeera Hotel where the newly-elected Somali president was meeting with the Kenyan delegation.

The Jazeera Hotel is close to the Mogadishu International Airport.

"The place turned chaotic when the first explosion hit the gate of the hotel. Huge black smoke went out and there was intense gunfire after the blast," Omar Yusuf, an eyewitness inside the hotel told Xinhua.

The other suicide bomber went off yards away from the hotel where Somali President-elect has been staying since his election.

Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud was overwhelmingly voted by Somali lawmakers to be the country's next president after he defeated outgoing president Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.

The 56-year old academic promised reform and fight against corruption. He was slated to take over the presidency this week in a planned inauguration ceremony in Mogadishu.  

The militant group of Al Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack, saying "a number of enemies were killed in at the venue" in a twitter post.

The radical al Qaida-affiliated group on Tuesday condemned the election of Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud as president describing him as traitor and vowed to continue its fight against Somali government forces and AU peacekeepers.

Somali government soldiers and members of the public mill around the scene of an explosion in the capital of Mogadishu Sept 12, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]