Conflicts & War

Al-Shabab fighters attack hotel in Somali capital

Mogadishu, Jun 9 (EFE).- Jihadist group Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for an attack Friday on a seaside hotel in Mogadishu frequented by Somali politicians and officials.

The assault at the Pearl Beach hotel began around 8:00 pm with explosions, believed to be the work of suicide bombers, followed by gunfire.

“Security forces are currently conducting an operation to neutralize al-Shabab militants who attacked civilians at a hotel on Lido beach in Mogadishu,” the Somali National News Agency (SONNA) said on Twitter.

“Many civilians have been rescued from the scene and the operation is ongoing,” SONNA said, without offering any information on casualties or the number of attackers.

Images disseminated by SONNA showed police special forces armed with assault rifles trying to subdue the attacks on an upper floor of the building.

“I left Pearl Beach before the attack, I think it was about 20 minutes before,” witness Muhubo Hassan told EFE. “I went to the beach with my youngest cousin for a night-time walk. It was then that we heard an explosion.”

“We could see smoke in the sky after the explosion and many people shouting. I ran down the beach with my cousin for safety, Hassan said.

Another witness, Hibaq Mohamed, said that “when the explosion happened, we saw a group of men running inside the hotel with firearms.”

An August 2022 attack by Al-Shabab on another hotel in the Somali capital led to a 30-hour siege that ended with 21 people dead and more than 100 others wounded.

Al-Shabab, which has links to Al-Qaeda, controls rural areas in central and southern Somalia and has carried out attacks in neighboring countries such as Kenya and Ethiopia.

EFE mg/dr

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