Twin car bomb explosions rocked a hotel in the center of the Somali capital Mogadishu on Saturday, followed by ongoing gunfire.
Mohamed Nor, a police officer at the scene, told Xinhua the first explosion went off at the entrance of the Nasa-Hablod Hotel, followed minutes later by a second blast near the hotel.
He said gunmen moved into the hotel after the first explosion and that security forces were "responding to the situation."
There was no immediate word on casualties.
A witness, Jama Muse, told Xinhua he heared a huge explosion followed by "sustained gunfire".
Nasa-Hablod Hotel is located in the central business district in Mogadishu and frequented by politicians.
No-one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but the Al-Shabaab Islamist group, fighting to topple the Somali government, carries out periodic attacks in Mogadishu
