32 Dead in Beach Hotel Attack in Somalia, Al-Shabab Claims Responsibility

Police in Somalia reported that 32 individuals lost their lives and 63 others sustained injuries in an assault on a beach hotel in Mogadishu. The attack, which took place on Friday, was claimed by the al-Shabab group associated with al-Qaida. According to police spokesperson Maj. Abdifatah Adan Hassan, the casualties included one soldier and numerous civilians. Witnesses described hearing an explosion followed by gunshots at the bustling Lido Beach area, a popular spot for locals on weekends.

Eyewitness Mohamud Moalim recounted seeing a bomber with an explosive vest moments before the individual detonated near the beachfront hotel, resulting in fatalities and injuries to his companions. Another observer, Abdisalam Adam, mentioned seeing multiple individuals lying on the ground after the attack and assisted in transporting wounded individuals to a medical facility. The Lido Beach vicinity has been a previous target for militants linked to al-Shabab, with a prior assault claiming nine lives.

In a separate incident on Saturday, reports indicated that seven individuals perished when a roadside bomb struck a passenger vehicle around 40 kilometers from Mogadishu. Al-Shabab, which retains control over segments of southern and central Somalia, persists in launching attacks in the capital and beyond while extorting money from residents and establishments in pursuit of establishing an Islamic state. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia had declared a “total war” against the militants as the nation assumes responsibility for its security. The assault on Friday occurred shortly after Somalia commenced the third stage of decreasing peacekeeping troops as part of the African Union Transition Mission.