At least 13 people were killed in Mogadishu, the Somali capital, after militants linked to the Al Qaeda terrorist group attacked a hotel, capturing hostages that local authorities were trying to free nearly 20 hours after the episode began, a security official said. country this Saturday (20).
The attackers opened the way to the Hayat hotel on Friday night (19) with the use of two car bombs. Then they opened fire. Members of the Al Shabab terrorist faction claimed responsibility for the action, according to a translation by the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors statements by jihadist groups.
“We have received information that the death of five more victims has been confirmed and the total number of civilians killed by the terrorists is now 13,” Mohamed Abdikadir told AFP.
“Security forces rescued dozens of people, including children who were trapped in the building,” added Abdikadir.
The explosions generated large columns of smoke on Friday night, and the sound of gunfire crackled in the Somali capital around 10 am on Saturday (4 am GMT). Thus, the noise of detonations marked the night and dawn, as government forces tried to regain control of the site.
The gunmen held an unknown number of hostages on the second floor of the building and destroyed some of the stairs to make access difficult.
The attack that began on Friday is the first major one since President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud reassumed power in May. Al Shabab has been trying to overthrow the Somali government for more than ten years to try to implement a regime based on a radical interpretation of Islamic law.
The Hayat is a popular venue for congressmen and members of the government and army. There is so far no information whether any of them were detained or killed by the terrorists.
Dozens of people flocked to the hotel’s surroundings to try to find out what happened to family or friends who stayed at the premises.
“We were looking for a family member who stayed at the hotel. They confirmed that she is dead,” Muudey Ali told AFP.
US troops returned to the country
The attack on the Hayat Hotel comes three days after the United States announced it had killed 13 al-Shabab militiamen in an airstrike fighting Somali forces around Teedaan, about 300 kilometers north of Mogadishu and close to the border. with Ethiopia.
Last week, the US military had reported another attack that killed four of the group’s militants in the same region.
President Joe Biden decided in May to restore the US military presence in Somalia, reversing the decision of his predecessor, Donald Trump, who had ordered the withdrawal of troops.
Jihadists have carried out attacks along the Ethiopian-Eritrea border in recent weeks, raising questions about a possible change in strategy.
Al Shabab militants were expelled from Mogadishu in 2011 by an African Union force, but they still control large swaths of territory and are capable of deadly actions against civilian and military targets.
Somalia’s new president said last month that the militants could not be defeated with military force alone, but specified that it was not yet time to face negotiation.
Earlier this month, Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre appointed Muktar Robow, a former leader and spokesman for Al Shabab, as minister of religion.
Robow, 53, defected from the Islamic ranks in 2017. The US government had placed a $5 million bounty on his head.
