32 Killed, 63 Wounded in Beach Hotel Attack in Mogadishu: Somalia Police

On Saturday, police in Somalia reported that 32 people died and 63 were injured in an attack on a beach hotel in Mogadishu the night before. The attack was claimed by al-Shabab, a militant group linked to al-Qaida.

Police spokesperson Maj. Abdifatah Adan Hassan said one soldier was killed, and another was injured. The rest of the victims were civilians. Witnesses reported a powerful explosion followed by gunfire at Lido Beach, a popular weekend destination in Mogadishu.

Witness Mohamud Moalim saw an attacker with an explosive vest before the man detonated it near the hotel with a view of the beach. Moalim lost friends in the attack and helped others to the hospital. Another witness, Abdisalam Adam, saw many people lying on the ground and helped the wounded.

Lido Beach has been targeted before by al-Shabab militants, with a recent attack last year killing nine people. On the same day, another incident occurred when a passenger vehicle hit a roadside bomb about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the capital, killing seven people.

Al-Shabab controls parts of southern and central Somalia. The group continues to attack Mogadishu and other areas while extorting money to impose an Islamic state. Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud declared a “total war” on the militants last year as Somalia takes more control of its security.

This attack follows a recent reduction in peacekeeping troops under the African Union Transition Mission, marking the start of its third phase.