Nine people, including three soldiers, were killed in an extremist attack on a beachfront hotel in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, according to the police. The assault started on Friday evening and lasted into early Saturday morning. Al-Shabab, an al-Qaida offshoot in East Africa, took credit for the attack. In the past, the organization has attacked hotels and other prominent buildings in Mogadishu, frequently starting the operations with suicide bombs.
Some others were stranded at the Pearl Beach hotel, a favorite of government officials, during the attack. The hotel is situated in the well-known Lido Beach neighborhood of Mogadishu. A total of 84 people were saved, while 10 more people were hurt.
Seven assailants stormed the hotel to start the attack, which resulted in a shootout between security personnel and the extremists. The attackers were subsequently all put to death.
Gunshots and explosions were heard at the hotel, according to witnesses. Abdulkadir Adan, the director of Amin Ambulance service, described the situation as terrible and unanticipated. In Somalia, the last year was especially brutal for civilians as the Islamist organization Al-Shabaab escalated its campaign. Over 1,000 civilian fatalities were documented between September 2022 and February 2023, according to the United Nations. Al-Shabaab was held responsible for the majority of these deaths.
