Al-Shabab claims responsibility for Somalia hotel attack which claimed nine lives

Feared militant group, Al-Shabab has claimed responsibility for a deadly attack launched at the Afrik Hotel, in Somalia which began with a car bomb on Sunday afternoon and killed nine people in the process.

Reports say a car hit the hotel’s front entrance in the capital of Mogadishu and detonated before gunmen stormed the building, according to officials and others at the scene of the incident.

“The blast made the hotel tremble as we sat inside and were talking. We were panicked, confused,” eyewitness Ahmed Nur was quoted by Reuters as saying.

READ ALSO: Seven people killed, 10 others injured in Somalia bomb blast

“The operation is over now. Nine people, including four attackers, died and over 10 civilians were injured. There is no electricity,” a police spokesman told reporters from the scene and via Facebook.

The incident came two months after a deadly bomb blast in the capital of Mogadishu claimed the lives of no fewer than seven victims and left 10 others seriously injured.

The incident was confirmed by BBC’s Bella Sheegow who said that the explosion happened in a popular ice-cream parlour and bakery near the airport.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now