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MOGADISHU, Somalia – A brutal assault on a popular beachfront establishment in Somalia’s capital has left at least 32 people dead and dozens more injured, according to state media reports.
On Friday evening, six militants from the extremist group al-Shabaab targeted the restaurant at the Beach View Hotel in Mogadishu. The attack, which involved a suicide bombing, unfolded in a matter of seconds, leaving destruction and chaos in its wake.
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Survivor Hassan Farah recounted the terrifying moment to Reuters: “Suddenly, there was something like lightning and a huge blast. We were enveloped in smoke. People were lying on the floor inside and outside the restaurant, bleeding and crying.”
State news agency SONNA reported that five of the attackers were killed during the incident. The fate of the sixth assailant remains unclear.
In the aftermath, Mogadishu residents responded en masse to urgent calls for blood donations. Hospitals across the city worked tirelessly to treat the wounded as they arrived.
Al-Shabaab, which aims to overthrow Somalia’s central government and impose strict Islamic law, claimed responsibility for the attack. The group stated that their target was Somali officials and officers, according to the SITE Intelligence Group.
The U.S. Africa Command has previously described al-Shabaab as the “largest and most kinetically active al-Qaeda network in the world.” Both the United States and the United Nations have designated it as a terrorist organization.
Mogadishu Mayor Yusuf Hussein Jimale offered condolences to the victims and their families. The government of Banadir Region, which includes Mogadishu, has pledged support for those affected by this tragedy.
This attack follows a pattern of violence by al-Shabaab, including a deadly assault on an African Union military base in Somalia last year that claimed the lives of 54 Ugandan soldiers.
As Mogadishu grapples with the aftermath of this latest atrocity, questions about security and the ongoing threat posed by al-Shabaab are likely to intensify.
