Deadly Al Shabab Attack on Hotel in Central Somalia Leaves Seven Dead

Al Shabab gunmen attacked a hotel in Beledweyne, Somalia, resulting in at least seven deaths. The group claimed responsibility, stating they killed over ten individuals. Witnesses described the attack involving explosives, while local elders and officials convened at the site. The ongoing conflict led to further fatalities in separate incidents, highlighting the severe security challenges in Somalia.

On Tuesday, Al Shabab gunmen attacked a hotel in Beledweyne, central Somalia, resulting in the deaths of at least seven individuals during a meeting of local elders and government officials. The Islamist militant group, related to Al-Qaeda, claimed responsibility for the assault and asserted that they had killed over ten people. Witness Ali Suleiman reported that the attackers gained access by detonating explosives at the entrance of the hotel.

Al Shabab regularly conducts violent attacks in Somalia as part of its efforts to overthrow the government and implement its interpretation of Islamic Sharia law. Clan elder Abdullahi Fidow reported, “So far seven people, including clan elders and their guards, all of them my relatives, died in the hotel. Parts of the hotel are ablaze now and it is not clear if the operation is concluded or not.”

Fidow continued to express concern, stating, “Some say the fighters are still fighting in nearby buildings. The death toll may rise because of the blasts and shooting by the fighters.” In the hours following the attack, government forces sought to eliminate remaining Al Shabab fighters, with several reportedly killed in surrounding areas, according to Dahir Amin Jesow, a federal lawmaker from Hiraan region.

Additionally, in a separate incident in southern Somalia’s Middle Shabelle region, at least ten people, including eight Al Shabab militants, lost their lives during ongoing combat, as per military officer Ali Farah. Furthermore, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was present at Mogadishu airport to receive the injured soldiers from the recent conflict, as reported by the state-owned Somali National News Agency.

The Al Shabab attack in Beledweyne underscores the ongoing threat posed by the militant group in Somalia, as government officials and local elder meetings became targets for violence. The situation remains precarious, with concerns of rising casualties among both locals and combatants. Government responses are underway, but the persistence of such attacks emphasizes the fragile security landscape in the region.

Original Source: www.arabnews.com