4 car bombs explode by hotel in Somalia's capital; 20 dead
Mogadishu, Nov 9: Four car bombs by Islamic extremists exploded outside a hotel in the capital, Mogadishu, killing at least 20 people and injuring 17, said police.
After the three explosions in front of the hotel, a fourth blast hit as medics attempted to rescue the injured.
The suicide bombs detonated near the perimeter wall of the Sahafi Hotel, which is located across the street from the Somali Police Force's Criminal Investigations Department, said Capt. Mohamed Hussein.
Some of the victims were burned beyond recognition when one car bomb exploded next to a minibus, he said.
Somali security forces shot dead four gunmen who tried to storm through a hole blown into the hotel's wall but did not succeed in entering, he said.
"Although they failed to access the hotel, the blasts outside the hotel killed many people," said Hussein.
"The street was crowded with people and cars, bodies were everywhere," said Hussein Nur, a shopkeeper who suffered light shrapnel injuries on his right hand.
"Gunfire killed several people, too."
Somalia's Islamic extremist rebels, al-Shabab, claimed responsibility for the bombs, according to the group's Andalus radio station.
Among the dead was the manager of the Sahafi Hotel, whose father was the owner of the hotel before he was killed in an al-Shabab attack on establishment in 2015, said police Capt. Hussein.
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Gujarat's Urvil Patel slams century in 28 balls, fastest T20 hundred by an Indian
Indore(PTI): Gujarat's wicketkeeper-batter Urvil Patel slammed the fastest T20 century by an Indian during his team's Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match against Tripura here on Wednesday, reaching the three-figure mark in just 28 balls.
This comes exactly a year after he smashed the second-fastest hundred by an Indian in List-A cricket.
The 26-year-old Urvil bettered Rishabh Pant's record for the fastest T20 hundred by an Indian. The India wicket-keeper had blazed away to a 32-ball century against Himachal Pradesh in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2018.
Urvil's ton is the second-fastest in T20 cricket, only behind Estonia's Sahil Chauhan, whose hundred against Cyprus came in 27 balls.
Opening the innings, Urvil struck seven fours and 12 sixes on his way to an unbeaten 113 off a mere 35 balls, as Gujarat completed a chase of 156 in 10.2 overs.
Earlier in the week, Urvil had gone unsold in the Indian Premier League player auction.
Exactly on this day last year, after being released by Gujarat Titans, Urvil scored an unbeaten 41-ball 100 for Gujarat in their Vijay Hazare Trophy match against Arunachal Pradesh in Chandigarh.
Urvil's century was the second-fastest by an Indian batter in List A cricket.
