"Al Shabaab Militia Attacks and Siege on Beach Hotel in Mogadishu Causes Multiple Fatalities"

Deadly Attack on Beach Hotel in Mogadishu

A popular beach hotel in Mogadishu was attacked by the Al-Shabaab militia resulting in numerous fatalities and a six-hour siege. Over 80 people were rescued.

According to Somali news channel SNTV, security forces ended the siege on Pearl Beach Hotel on Saturday night.

Police reported that 84 people were rescued from the building, with six civilians and three security force members among the dead. Ten others were injured, with all six attackers also reported dead.

Repeated Attacks on Hotels

The Al-Shabaab militia, which is partnered with Al-Qaeda, claimed responsibility for the attack. The Islamists have been attempting to overthrow the government in the East African state since 2006, frequently targeting hotels and other facilities in Mogadishu.

While the group controls large swathes of Somalia, it was pushed back by the army in the past year. However, Al-Shabaab militants remain capable of carrying out serious attacks on government, commercial, and military targets. In late May, fighters attacked a Ugandan peacekeeping base 130 kilometers southwest of Mogadishu, killing 54 soldiers.

In a report to the UN Security Council in February, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that 2022 had been the year with the highest number of civilian fatalities in Somalia since 2017.

Children Die After Explosion of Unexploded Ordnance

Earlier, an explosion caused by an unexploded ordnance killed at least 27 people 120 kilometers south of Mogadishu. According to Reuters, citing an official spokesperson, most of the victims were children, with a further 53 people injured.