Attack on hotel in Mogadishu claimed by Shebab

An attack By Shebab From a hotel in the center Safe from Mogadishu Near the presidential palace on Sunday evening, radical Islamists showed their ability to strike following a declaration of “total war” on Somali power. “A team Shebab fighters “A hotel in Pontere district was attacked tonight (and) security forces are engaged in clearing them,” National Police spokesperson Sadiq Tudishe said in a statement.

Explosions and heavy gunfire

He added that several civilians and politicians have already been rescued and evacuated from the establishment, Villa Rose. “I was near Villa Rose when two strong explosions shook the hotel. There was heavy gunfire. The area was cordoned off and I saw people fleeing,” said a witness, Adan Hussain from Mogadishu.

Shebab, an al-Qaeda-linked group that has been trying to topple Somalia’s central government for 15 years, claimed responsibility for the attack. Villa Rose Hotel is a popular destination for Somali parliamentarians and is located in a central safe area of ​​Mogadishu, not far from the office of the country’s president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

“Safe Accommodation in Mogadishu”,

On its website, Villa Rose is described as “the safest accommodation in Mogadishu” with metal detectors and a high perimeter wall. The African Union Force in Somalia (Atmis) condemned the attack and on Twitter “commended the Somali security forces for their swift response to prevent further casualties and damage to property”.

The new offensive comes as the recently elected Somali president decided in May to launch a three-month “total war” against the Shebaab. The Somali army, backed by local clans, backed by Admis and US airstrikes, has thus overrun large parts of Hiran province in the center of the country and central Shabelle. regained control.

A series of bloody attacks

But the insurgents retaliated with a series of bloody attacks, underscoring their ability to strike at the heart of Somali cities and military installations. On October 29, 121 people were killed and 333 injured in Mogadishu when two cars packed with explosives exploded within minutes. The worst attack in five years in this fragile country in the Horn of Africa.

Three bombings in central Beledweyne in early October killed 30 people, including local officials, and at least 21 guests of a hotel in Mogadishu were killed during a 30-hour siege in August.

According to the United Nations, at least 613 civilians have been killed and 948 injured in violence in Somalia this year, mainly caused by improvised explosive devices (IEDs) attributed to al-Shabaab. The highest number since 2017, 30% more than last year.