Al-Shabab rebels attack Mogadishu hotel used by Somali officials

By Michael Awala

Source:Aljazeera

BREAKINGSuspected al-Shabaab rebels attack Mogadishu hotel used by Somali officials BREAKINGThe attackers storm the Villa Rose hotel close to the presidential palaceClose Breaking News TickerClick to pause breaking news ticker

DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY,

News|Al-Shabab

Al-Shabab claims responsibility for the attack on the Villa Rose hotel in the Somali capital with no word yet on any casualties.

Published On 27 Nov 202227 Nov 2022

Fighters from the al-Shabab armed group have attacked a hotel used by government officials in the Somali capital of Mogadishu, according to police and government officials, with security officials saying the gunmen were wearing “suicide” vests.

There was no word yet on any casualties in the latest attack claimed by the al-Shabab armed group.

http://g

KEEP READING

list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4

UN extends Somalia arms embargo amid government dissatisfaction

list 2 of 4

US offers $10m for information on al-Shabab leaders, finances

list 3 of 4

Al-Shabab gunmen attack military base in central Somalia

list 4 of 4

Five killed in suicide bombing at Somalia military camp

end of list

Al Jazeera could not independently verify the claims that it was a suicide attack.

The attackers stormed the Villa Rose hotel, which is close to the presidential palace, with explosives and guns, said police officer Mohammed Abdi on Sunday. It was not immediately clear how many attackers there were, he said.

Some government officials at the Villa Rose were rescued after escaping from windows, said Abdi.

The state minister for the environment, Adam Aw Hirsi, wrote on Twitter that he was safe after a “terrorist explosion targeted at my residence” at the hotel, where many government officials stay.

“We were shaken by a huge blast, followed by a heavy exchange of gunfire,” said Ahmed Abdullahi, who lives close to the scene of the explosion.

“We are just indoors and listening to gunfire.”

The attack comes as al-Shabaab has intensified its attacks in Somalia, with at least 100 people killed in twin car bombings in the Somali capital on October 30.

“Our people who were massacred … included mothers with their children in their arms, fathers who had medical conditions, students who were sent to study, businessmen who were struggling with the lives of their families,” Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said after visiting the site of the October 30 blast.

Sign up for Al Jazeera

Week in the Middle East

Catch up on our coverage of the region, all in one place.Sign up

By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy

At least 21 people were killed in August when al-Shabab attacked another hotel in Mogadishu. The armed group also claimed an attack on yet another hotel in the southern city of Kismayo last month that left nine people dead.

Al-Shabab, an al-Qaeda-allied armed group fighting in Somalia for more than a decade, is seeking to topple the country’s central government and establish its own rule based on a strict interpretation of Islamic law.

The group uses a campaign of bombings both in Somalia and elsewhere, and targets have included military installations as well as hotels, shopping centres, and busy traffic areas.

Its fighters were driven out of Mogadishu in 2011 by the African Union peacekeeping forces. But it still controls swaths of Somalia’s countryside and has stepped up attacks since President Mohamud took office in May and pledged an “all-out war” against the group.

President Mohamud, with support from the United States and allied local militias, has launched an offensive against the group, although results have been limited.

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES

https://www.dianomi.com/smartads.epl?id=7549&numAds=5&cf=1761.574.aljazeerals&tcString=&can_serve_ads=true&canServeAds=true&canCookie=true&canProgrammatic=true&partner_tcf_status=2.0&partnerTcfStatus=2.0&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.aljazeera.com%2Fnews%2F2022%2F11%2F27%2Fmogadishu-hotel-used-by-somali-officials-in-mogadishu-al-shabaab&unitId=dianomi-7549-Y4PKiEU58avWIa7qU_vcUgAAAC40

OPINIONOPINION,The murder of Somalia’s brave journalists must stopAfrica’s most dangerous country for journalists, Somalia, must end the impunity for violence against media workers.opinion by Omar Faruk OsmanOmar Faruk OsmanPublished On 2 Nov 20222 Nov 2022
Al-Shabab gunmen attack military base in central SomaliaThe latest attack comes within days of a suicide bombing by al-Shabab near a military base in the capital, Mogadishu.Published On 7 Nov 20227 Nov 2022
UN extends Somalia arms embargo amid government dissatisfactionDespite objections from Somali government, Security Council voted to maintain sanctions regime over al-Shabab threat.Published On 18 Nov 202218 Nov 2022
Al-Shabab gunman kills three Kenyan peacekeepers in SomaliaKenyan military official said a lone attacker fired indiscriminately, wounding five soldiers, before he was gunned down.Published On 22 Nov 202222 Nov 2022