At least 16 people were killed yesterday in an armed robbery and a bomb attack on a hotel in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu. Among the dead were ten civilians, a police officer and five attackers, a spokesman for the information ministry told AFP. Al-Shabab jihadist militia claimed responsibility for the attack.
According to the ministry, the security forces regained control of the hotel four hours after the explosion, where five attackers were holed up. The attackers had apparently taken hostages, it was previously said from security circles. How the Somali security forces brought the hotel under their control is unclear.
Al-Shabab: „Martyrs Operation“
The number of victims could continue to rise. According to rescue workers, at least 28 people were injured. According to the US group SITE, which specializes in monitoring Islamist websites, the Al-Shabab militia declared that their fighters had „taken control of the hotel“ and that it was a „martyrs‘ operation“.
The militia with links to the extremist network al-Qaeda is fighting against the internationally recognized government in Mogadishu and repeatedly carries out attacks in the Somali capital.
Seven people were killed in a militia attack on August 8 in Mogadishu. The extremists had left a car bomb at the entrance to a military base. The East African country, in which civil war raged for years, is still the scene of attacks and violence.
