At least eight individuals lost their lives and 28 were wounded in a blast at a well-liked beach in Mogadishu, Somalia, late Friday night, according to the Aamin ambulance service. The Somali state media attributes this attack to the Islamist militant group al Shabab. Dr. Abdikadir Abdirahmman, the director of Aamin ambulance, provided these casualty figures and cautioned that the numbers might increase. The state news agency SONNA reported that five al Shabab assailants were killed by security forces, with a sixth attacker detonating himself during the incident. There has been no immediate claim of responsibility from al Shabab, affiliated with al Qaeda, despite past similar claims. The explosion took place while locals were swimming at Lido beach, as stated by former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire on his X platform. "The timing of this terrorist attack, coinciding with a night when the beach is most crowded, underscores the terrorists' animosity towards the Somali people," he commented. Videos circulating on X depicted bodies strewn across the beach at night, with people fleeing to safety. Al Shabab once controlled a large swath of Somalia but has since been driven back by government counteroffensives starting in 2022. Nonetheless, the group retains the ability to execute significant strikes against government, commercial, and military entities.
Text: Lara Palmer
03.08.2024
Al Shabab blamed for deadly attack on crowded Somali beach; no immediate claim of responsibility.