Somalia is stepping up security in the southern city of Kismayo after a terrorist attack killed 26 people. CGTN's Abdulaziz Billow reports from Mogadishu.

On Friday, militant group Al-Shabaab detonated a car bomb inside this hotel in southern Somalia before heavily armed attackers stormed the facility - and engaging security forces in a gun battle that lasted more than ten hours.

It's the deadliest attack to rock the port city six years after allied forces dislodged Al-Shabaab from Kismayo - a strategic port city that for years served a financial hub for the Al Qaeda linked group.  

At the time of the attacks, regional politicians and clan elders were inside the hotel discussing an upcoming regional election that has attracted many candidates - a move authorities say distracted the region from focusing on security matters.  

ABDIFATAH ISMAIL SOMALI MP "The area used to be peaceful before but the administration became too politically focused, security became a problem - this kind of attacks indicate the governments failure to do something about the security problems in the country - the motive for this kind of attack in an area that essentially enjoyed peace is an indicator of the intention of those that carried out the attack to be just kind of a disruption in areas that used to be peaceful before."

Security forces neutralized two attackers - and arrested the third who was injured - investigation now reveals that the gunmen disguised as members of the police before launching the attack - ten foreigners including Kenyans, Tanzanians, Britons, American and a Canadian were among those killed in the attack that shocked the entire nation.        

Two Chinese nationals wounded in the attack were also airlifted to Mogadishu - the duo were in the country alongside investors from neighbouring countries to assess the country's fishing sector - the regional leaders now want increased security ahead of elections next month.  

"I call on security forces to increase surveillance to prevent a repeat of this kind of terrorist attacks - especially now as we are headed towards elections. I also appeal to the public to provide relevant information to security forces to thwart potential threats to security."

ABDULAZIZ BILLOW MOGADISHU, SOMALIA "Notable figures including a presidential candidate for the regional elections died in the attack - but it's the death of Hodan Naleyeh, a renowned media personality that has shocked many in the country."

Hodan was killed alongside her husband Farid Jama Suleiman - the media personality had recently returned from Canada to focus on the positive stories and inspire young Somalis around the world to help rebuild their country - social media has seen an outpouring of grief for the television personality who died while trying to change the decades-long narrative that portrayed her country in a negative way.  AB, CGTN, MOGADISHU, SOMALIA.