The Jazeera Hotel, one of the most secure hotels in Mogadishu, frequented by international diplomats, was attacked by a suicide bomber who rammed a truck rigged with explosives into the blast walls around the hotel, severely damaging the building and killing nine people, including a Kenyan diplomat and a Chinese embassy guard.
Somalia's Foreign Minister Abdisalam Omer confirmed the attack saying that at least 20 people were injured, reports ABC News.
The blast destroyed at least eight rooms and stunned the residents of the Somali capital. "This is really scary - destroying the Jazeera hotel like this means no blast walls can make anyone safe," said bystander Yusuf Mohammed.
The attack was claimed by the al-Shabab group which has links to al-Qaida. In a statement issued after the attack, al-Shabab said it was carried out in retaliation for the deaths of dozens of civilians at the hands of Ethiopian forces, which are part of the A.U. force. They said the hotel was targeted because it hosts "Western" embassies that are helping to coordinate the offensive, reports Deseret News.
The attacks are being seen as a retaliation against Somali forces that have launched an offensive, dubbed Operation Jubba Corridor, to push militants out of two key towns. The Somalis - with support from troops from the African Union - have already driven al-Shabab out of the capital.
"They wanted to level the entire hotel building." said Mohamed Ali, a Somali police officer.
The White House Press Office issued a statement condemning the attack and extending condolences to the families of the victims on Sunday. It also added that the United States remained steadfast in its commitment to work with Somalia to bring an end to such acts of terrorism. "Despite the very real progress Somalia has achieved in recent years, this attack is yet another reminder of the unconscionable atrocities that terrorist groups continue to perpetrate against the people of Somalia," according to U.S. News.
