An attack on a Somali beach kills 37 civilians, a minister claims

The health minister reported that an explosion at a well-known seaside restaurant in the capital of Somalia late on Friday left at least 37 people dead and 212 injured. The government attributed the incident to the extremist Islamist organization al Shabaab.

Eleven of the injured in the Mogadishu incident, according to Ali Haji, were in critical condition.

Since twin vehicle bombs exploded close to a major market crossroads in October 2022, killing at least 100 people and injuring 300 more, it was the deadliest incident to occur in the country of the Horn of Africa.

According to police spokeswoman Abdifatah Aden, one soldier also died during the attack in addition to the civilians who were slain at the beach restaurant.

Three of the assailants were slain by security personnel, and one of them detonated himself. Aden stated that one assailant was apprehended alive.

The al Qaeda-affiliated al Shabaab, which has claimed responsibility for similar operations in the past, including the vehicle bomb attack in 2022, did not immediately claim credit.

A survivor named Hassan Farah recalled the horror of seeing a calm evening destroyed by an explosion.

“I was in the restaurant sipping coffee and having a good chat with friends when I saw a big man running, in a second there was something like lightening and a huge blast,” according to Reuters.

The smoke enveloped us. Many individuals were laying on the floor both inside and outside the restaurant, and some of them were screaming and bleeding.”

Sandals and shoes that individuals had left behind when they left the scene were scattered across the beach early on Saturday morning.

Following the incident, Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud met with security services and developed strategies to bolster the city’s security, the president’s office announced in a post on X.

“The administration is committed to getting rid of the terrorists. The aim of the terrorists is to frighten the people. The message stated, “Let the civilians report the terrorists hiding among them.”

Officials from the Somali government usually refer to al Shabaab as terrorists without mentioning the organization.

Al Shabaab commanded a sizable portion of Somalia, but since 2022, government counteroffensives have forced them back. The militants may still, however, carry out significant assaults on military, commercial, and governmental objectives.