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The international community has strongly condemned a suicide attack on a hotel in the Somali capital of Mogadishu which killed at least 15 people.
The attack occurred Sunday when a suicide bomber detonated his car at the gate of the Jazera Hotel, a six-story luxury hotel which houses the embassies of China, Egypt, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates and is frequented by diplomats and foreign visitors.
A security guard of the Chinese embassy has been confirmed killed and three other staffers were wounded in the attack. Embassy offices were also partially damaged.
China was greatly shocked by the attack and strongly condemned it, the country's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said.
China has lodged representations in Mogadishu and Beijing. The Somali side said it would take all necessary measures to treat the wounded and ensure the safety of Chinese nationals in Somalia.
Other confirmed deaths include two journalists, according to local media.
Somalia-based militant group Al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was a revenge for the recent operation in the southern Somalian regions of Dinsoor and Bardhere by the African Union and Somali forces.
The UN Security Council on Monday condemned the attack. In a statement released to the press, the members of the Security Council offered their condolences to the peoples and governments of the Republic of Somalia and of the People's Republic of China.
The 15-member body stressed the fundamental principle of the inviolability of diplomatic and consular premises, and the obligations of host governments to take all appropriate steps to protect diplomatic and consular premises against any intrusion or damage.
UN chief Ban Ki-moon condemned the attack "in the strongest terms," a statement by his spokesperson said.
The secretary-general conveyed his deepest condolences to the families of the victims and to their governments, and wished the injured a swift recovery.
"The Secretary-General affirms that this egregious attack will not deter the United Nations and international partners from our steadfast commitment to help the people and Government of Somalia realize a peaceful future for their country," said the statement.
The United States also condemned the attack, saying it "purposefully and cruelly targeted innocent civilians," according to a statement by U.S. National Security Council spokesman Ned Price.
"This attack is yet another reminder of the unconscionable atrocities that terrorist groups continue to perpetrate against the people of Somalia," the statement said.
Brazil also condemned the deadly attack and expressed solidarity with the families of the victims, according to a foreign ministry statement.
The South American country also reiterated support to the Somali government for its counter-terror efforts, adding that it deplores all terrorism acts. Enditem
