A terrorist attack in Somalia left at least 26 dead and dozens more wounded, according to reports.

The carnage began when heavily armed members of the terrorist group al-Shabaab stormed the Asasey hotel in the Somali port city of Kismayo.

The victims included Canadian-American journalist Hodan Naleyah and her husband.

“There is chaos inside. I saw several dead bodies carried from the scene and people are fleeing from the nearby buildings,” Hussein Muktar told BBC.

The attack began after a loud explosion rocked the hotel before al-Shabaab stormed the building. It took Somali authorities more than 14 hours to regain control and kill the attackers, according to Al-Jazeera.

Tanzanians, British and Americans citizens are reported to be among the dead.

Al-Shabaab, an Al-Qaeda affiliate, has long been a terrorist menace in Somalia and has frequently staged attacks in the capital, Mogadishu.