Al Shabaab
Terrorist attack on hotel in Mogadishu kills 19
A Somali soldier in front of a wrecked car. (icon image) photo
© Farah Abdi Warsameh/AP/dpa
The situation in the hotel in Mogadishu attacked by Islamist extremists is still not under control. The number of victims increases. The security forces are coming under increasing pressure.
The attack by armed Islamist extremists on a hotel in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, continues. In the meantime, the number of fatalities has increased to at least 19, as the police of the German Press Agency announced on Saturday. At least 40 other people were injured, some seriously, in the attack, which began Friday night. They were taken to a nearby hospital, a clinic worker confirmed.
Meanwhile, the security forces are having trouble bringing the situation at the Hayat hotel under control. The anti-terrorist unit deployed during the night and in the morning was criticized for its leadership. The unit, trained by the US military, had used heavy weapons such as mortar shells and other explosive devices, according to the hotel manager. She has now handed over the management of the operation to the Cheetah special unit, which is part of the Somali police force.
Armed with hand grenades and Kalashnikovs
Parts of the hotel have been secured by the police, but there is still resistance from the terrorists, according to an employee of the security forces. Two of the attackers are still alive and armed with hand grenades and Kalashnikovs. They are said to be on the upper floors of the hotel. The security forces originally assumed there were four to five fighters, and according to the police, two of the terrorists were neutralized.
On Saturday night, the Islamist terrorist group Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack on the hotel near Aden Adde International Airport. Two suicide bombers in two vehicles blew themselves up just before the attack. According to the terrorists, they were also responsible for an attack with a mortar shell at the airport. The Somali security authorities confirmed that a mother and her four children were killed in the attack.
The attacks mark the first large-scale act of terrorism since Somalia’s newly-elected President Hassan Sheik Mohamud took office in May. The country on the Horn of Africa with around 16 million inhabitants has been rocked by attacks by the terrorist group Al-Shabaab for years. It controls large parts of the south and central regions.