A prominent journalist and several foreigners were killed in an attack on a hotel in southern Somalia after a suicide bomber drove a vehicle harboring explosives into the Asasey hotel in the port of Kismayo. The gunmen then stormed the building.
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Among the deceased are journalist Hodan Nalayeh, 43, and her husband Farid. A local politician, two Americans, one Briton, three Kenyans, and three Tanzanians were also killed in the attack.
Witnesses say a huge blast was heard outside before several heavily armed men forced their way into the hotel.
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Hodan Nalayeh founded the media outlet Integration TV to relay stories about life in the Somalian diaspora. Tributes have been paid to Nalayeh, calling her a “voice for many.”