Somali police say 32 dead in attack on Mogadishu beach hotel

Описание: (3 Aug 2024)
RESTRICTIONS SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Mogadishu, Somalia - 3 August 2024
1. Wide of ambulance approaching Lido Beach, driving towards the scene of attack
2. Various exteriors of attack site, armoured vehicles, security forces cordoning off area
3. Various of beach area, abandoned items including scattered shoes and tea flasks on beach
4. SOUNDITE (Somali) Omar Elmi, witness:
"I couldn't tell but I saw many people falling down on the beach as soon as the unexpected explosion occurred, followed by gunfire. Some people fainted, others were in shock. Some died, and others were injured. It was difficult to distinguish between the living and the deceased due to the continuous heavy gunfire. Those who were able to flee had already moved away. I survived and tried to help others who had also survived. The three of us managed to escape from the scene."
5. Various of surrounding beach and other areas affected by attack, abandoned items on beach
STORYLINE:
Police in Somalia said Saturday that at least 32 people died and 63 others were wounded in an attack on a beach hotel in the capital, Mogadishu, the previous evening.

Al-Qaida’s East Africa affiliate, al-Shabab, said through its radio that its fighters carried out the attack.

Police spokesperson Maj. Abdifatah Adan Hassan told journalists that one soldier was killed in the attack and that the rest were civilians. Another soldier was also wounded in the attack, Hassan said. Witnesses reported an explosion followed by gunfire.

Lido Beach, a popular area in Mogadishu, is bustling on Friday nights as Somalis enjoy their weekend.

The Lido Beach area has in the past been targeted by militants allied to al-Shabab. The most recent attack last year killed nine people.

In a separate attack on Saturday, state media reported that seven people died after a passenger vehicle hit a roadside bomb some 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the capital.

Al-Shabab still controls parts of southern and central Somalia and continues to carry out attacks in Mogadishu and other areas while extorting millions of dollars a year from residents and businesses in its quest to impose an Islamic state.

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud last year declared a “total war” on the militants as the country starts taking charge of its own security.

The Friday attack comes a month after Somalia started the third phase of the drawdown of peacekeeping troops under the the African Union Transition Mission.

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