A gun battle continue to rage in Mogadishu on Friday between Somali soldiers and al-Shabab fighters, who carried out a daring raid and suicide attack the previous night that left at least 29 people dead, Aljazeera reported.

Heavy gunfire was heard across the Somali capital through the night on Thursday and as dawn broke on Friday.

At least 80 others were injured in the attack on Thursday near Hotel Maka Al-Mukarama and a judge’s residence on a busy street in Mogadishu, according to a police commander.

“So far we know 29 people mostly civilians died and 80 others injured. The militants are still fighting from inside a civilian house adjacent to the hotel… The death toll may rise,” police Major Musa Ali told Reuters.

Al-Shabab’s military spokesman said they still controlled the hotel.

“The government tried three times to enter the building but we repulsed them. We still control the hotel,” Abdiasis Abu Musab, al-Shabab’s military spokesman, told Reuters.

Many victims of Thursday’s attack suffered horrific injuries and hospitals were said to be struggling to cope with causalities.

Some of the wounded lost limbs, Sadiya Yusuf, a nurse at Daru Shifa, one of the hospitals treating victims, told AP news agency.

More at Aljazeera