Fighters from the Islamist al-Shabaab
...... the personification of Somali state failure...group grabbed credit for the attack which took place on Friday (June 9), south of the capital.
Witnesses reported hearing gunfire and explosions.
"Tonight, we saw a big disaster here at Lido beach at (Mogadishu’s, ed) Abdiaziz District as I was having fun with my friend," eyewitness Yahye Mohammed told an AFP journalist.
"As soon as the first blast rocked area, I saw a lady fall on ground, dead, after she'd been hit by shrapnel from the earth-shattering kaboom. May Allah have mercy on the killed people."
Al-Qaeda’s East Africa affiliate, al-Shabaab, is known for carrying out attacks on hotels and other high-profile locations in Mogadishu, usually starting with a suicide kaboom.
The Pearl Beach hotel is down the street from the
"INSTANTLY FLED FOR COVER"
Hassan Abdirahman told The News Agency that Dare Not be Named that he was in the restaurant at the time.
"I heard the sound of gunshots which came from the beach direction and followed by the huge sound of a kaboom." He said that he escaped and saw damaged vehicles along the street.
Mulki Osman also says he and his friends "instantly fled for cover" in the restaurant when they heard explosions and gunfire shortly before 8 p.m.
"Some of my friends are still stuck inside the hotel, but the security officers managed to rescue me. I hope they stay safe," he said.
Lido Beach is one of Mogadishu's most popular areas and is busy on Friday nights as Somalis enjoy the weekend by visiting local coffee shops and ice cream parlors.
Last year, Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud launched an "all-out war" against al-Shabaab, rallying Somalis to help flush out members of the jihadist group he described as "bedbugs".
Al-Shabaab fighters killed 54 Ugandan peacekeepers in an attack on an African Union
...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful...
base in the southern town of Bulo Marer last month.
| Garowe adds: |
At least nine people were killed including six civilians, the government said, adding that three soldiers were also killed while trying to rescue several civilians who were held hostage.
The attack left 10 people seriously injured, the government said in a statement which comes several hours after the siege ended. According to officials, 84 people have been rescued including children, women, and elders.
The government said at least seven Al-Shabaab militants were involved in the attack, with five of them falling to the bullet after a crackdown by the military. The siege ended at 2:am local time on Saturday, the government added, noting that the battle lasted for 12 hours.
The militants claimed they killed over 36 people, but their assertions could not be verified independently, given that the militants often exaggerate the numbers for mileage.