By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
MOGADISHU (Worthy News) – Somalia has plunged into mourning after at least 37 civilians were killed and scores injured in an explosion on a famous beach in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, in an attack the government blamed on militant Islamist group al-Shabab.
It was the deadliest attack in the Horn of Africa country since twin car bombs detonated near a busy market intersection in October 2022, killing at least 100 people and wounding 300.
“The overall number of the dead people we confirmed is 37,” Somali Health Minister Ali Haji Adam said in a press statement late Saturday.
In addition to the civilians killed at the beach restaurant, police spokesperson Abdifatah Aden said one soldier was killed during the assault.
Among those injured, 11 people are in intensive care units, a further 64 people remain in hospital with wounds, while 137 people with light injuries have been discharged after receiving treatment, officials said.
The assault, for which al-Shabab claimed responsibility, began late Friday when a suicide bomber detonated a device, and gunmen stormed the area, footage seen by Worthy News showed.
Survivors of Friday’s assault recalled how, following the blast, gunmen stormed onto the beach intending to “kill everyone they could, “with a graphic video shared online immediately after showing bloodied bodies on the sand.
SOMALIA FORCES END ATTACK
Somalian security forces eventually ended the attack and killed five gunmen, while a sixth member of the group “blew himself (up) at the beach,” authorities said.
Police spokesperson Abdifatah Adan Hassan said the attack demonstrated the group was not only targeting government officials and soldiers but ordinary civilians as well.
Witnesses said there were many people at the popular location when the explosion occurred, describing how gunmen then stormed the area.
“As we were enjoying our time on the beach, a suicide bomber blew himself up among crowds of people on the beach,” Omar Elmi recalled.
“Then we could see many people scattered on the ground, including dead, injured, as well as shocked people,” he said.
Witnesses said there were many people at the popular location when the explosion occurred, describing how gunmen then stormed the area.
“As we were enjoying our time on the beach, a suicide bomber blew himself up among crowds of people on the beach,” Omar Elmi recalled.
MANY PEOPLE SCATTERED, SHOCKED
“Then we could see many people scattered on the ground, including dead, injured, as well as shocked people,” he added.
Hassan Farah, a survivor, described the shock as the explosion shattered a peaceful evening.
“I was in the restaurant sipping coffee and chatting with friends when I saw a big man running. In a second, there was something like lightning and a huge blast,” he told reporters.
“We were covered with smoke. Inside and outside the restaurant, many people were lying on the floor while others were bleeding and crying.”
Later, the beach was still strewn with sandals and shoes left by people as they fled the scene.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre met with security agencies after the attack and drew up plans to strengthen the city’s security, the president’s office said.
The Al-Qaeda group-linked al-Shabab fighters have been waging an insurgency against Somalia’s internationally-backed federal government for more than 17 years.
They have previously targeted the Lido beach area, popular with businesspeople and government members.
Copyright 1999-2024 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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