Somalia’s security forces battled militant fighters for a second consecutive night in Mogadishu’s Hayat hotel, the largest siege in the country since Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was elected president in May.
At least 20 people have died since militants stormed the hotel in downtown Mogadishu, Somalia, late Friday. Hayat hotel manager Ismail Abdi said security forces were pounding the building with weapons Saturday, in an effort to contain remaining members of the Islamic extremist group al-Shabaab, which has claimed responsibility for the attack.
The attack started with explosions outside the hotel before gunmen entered, the Associated Press reported. About 40 people were wounded, some critically, and admitted to the hospital.
The government has provided no official statement on the number of fatalities, but Mohamed Ibrahim Moalimuu, a member of Somalia’s federal parliament, told Bloomberg that 11 members of his immediate family died from the attack. Abdulkadir Mohamud, owner of the Hayat hotel, said nine other people, including two of his brothers, died in the attack.
The attack was condemned Saturday by the US embassy in Mogadishu. In a statement, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres repeated the UN’s solidarity with Somalia in fighting terrorism.
The United States strongly condemns the al-Shabaab hotel attack in #Mogadishu. We extend condolences to the families of loved ones killed, wish a full recovery to the injured, & pledge continued support for #Somalia to hold murderers accountable & build when others destroy.
Somalia is struggling for stability after decades of civil war and an insurgency led by al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab, which has been trying to topple the government since 2006.
On Aug. 14 the US killed 13 al-Shabaab operatives in an air strike near Teedaan, Somalia, according to a statement by the US Africa Command issued on Wednesday. It was the third strike since June.
NEWS: Somali, U.S. forces engaged insurgents in support of the Federal Government of Somalia on Aug. 14
The command’s initial assessment is that the strikes killed 13 al-Shabaab terrorists and that no civilians were injured or killed.
More: https://t.co/r2VT35d5QR pic.twitter.com/yugFF2sc7Z— US AFRICOM (@USAfricaCommand) August 17, 2022
US President Joe Biden in May ordered the return of US troops to Somalia to help suppress al-Shabaab after they were withdrawn by President Donald Trump.
© 2022 Bloomberg L.P.
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