A Somali soldier gives instructions to his companions at a time of the siege of the hotel where the terrorists take refuge /
Several members of the terrorist group Al Shaabab have stormed the establishment, frequented by members of the Government of Somalia, and detonated the explosive vests they were carrying
At least thirty people have been killed during an attack by terrorists from the al-Qaeda-linked Al Shabaab group on a central hotel in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu. The assault occurred during the early hours of the morning, although the Police have not yet terminated the operation or rule out the possibility of new fatalities. The shots still resounded this Saturday morning in the surroundings of the establishment. The night has also ended with an undetermined number of wounded – although it is expected to reach forty – among whom are police officers and Somali Intelligence agents.
The militiamen chose the Hayaat hotel for their attack, possibly because it is a place frequented by the country’s politicians and officials. According to initial investigations, the assailants broke into the building at dusk and one of them detonated the explosive vest he was wearing. Several customers came to help the wounded, at which point another suicide bomber would have also activated his vest. From there, there have been races and episodes of panic by customers who have sought refuge inside the hotel. The Police have reported that after that first attack, at least three other explosions were heard near the Hayaat and bursts of gunfire.
The confrontation between the security forces and the terrorists, entrenched inside the halls of the building, lasted all morning and continued this morning in the vicinity. Hundreds of civilians and customers, including several children, have been evacuated by security forces. The European Union delegation in Somalia has condemned this “cowardly attack” on Twitter and has expressed support for the authorities and citizens “in their search for peace and stability”.
The security forces surround the hotel facilities this Saturday /
Al Shaabab, a Somali group affiliated with Al Qaeda, has claimed responsibility for the attack and reported that its militants blew themselves up in it. This is the first major attack by the jihadist movement since the new president, Hasan Sheikh Mohamud, took office last June. In mid-August, the US Army dealt a heavy blow to its structure by killing thirteen terrorists in a bombardment against an Al Shabaab base in Teendan, a town in southern Somalia. The Pentagon reported that it was a support operation for the Somali military forces, who have been fighting the Islamic terrorist group for years. The White House has redeployed military personnel to the country since last May after the previous president, Donald Trump, ordered their withdrawal in 2020.