It has been confirmed that at least nine people have died following a jihadist attack on a hotel in southern Somalia.

The death toll may rise as close to 50 people have been injured.

Three attackers were killed by the security forces after they rampaged through the hotel in Kismayo, shooting people at random. The fourth died when he blew up his car at the entrance to the hotel.

The al Qaeda-linked al-Shabab militant group has said it carried out the attack.

Kismayo had been relatively peaceful since the jihadis were driven out in 2012.

Federal troops backed by African Union-backed forces and local clan militia have in recent weeks retaken huge territories from al-Shabab, but the group remains deadly.