Al-Shabab militants claimed responsibility for the attack on the Syl Hotel located in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, as residents heard gunfire and a loud explosion.
The extremist group said that its fights assaulted the hotel on Thursday, saying that they were able to penetrate the hotel that is located not far from the presidential palace. The area is normally considered a secure part of Mogadishu.
Somali Hotel Attack
Attacks impacting the seaside capital had been uncommon in recent weeks following the bolstering of security in the area. The extremist group is known for opposing Somalias' federal government and has been responsible for many lethal attacks on various hotels and other places over the years.
The last major attack that the group was responsible for in Mogadishu was conducted in October 2022. At the time, al-Shabab militants killed at least 120 civilians following twin car bombings at a busy junction.
The local government has been engaged in a high-profile new offensive against the militant group that the United States has described as one of the deadliest organizations led by al-Qaeda. Previously, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud declared "total war" against the militant group, according to ABC News.
This is not the first time that the Syl Hotel has been attacked and the militants have previously targeted the establishment, which is popular with government officials. The al-Shabab group said that armed Mujahideen took control of the hotel and were shooting workers and officers. However, it was not immediately known if there were any casualties.
One resident, Farah Ali, who lives near the president's office, said that they first heard the sound of a huge blast and then later heard gunfire. On the other hand, a security officer said that several gunmen forced their way into the hotel after destroying the perimeter wall that was set up with a heavy explosion.
Another individual, Hassan Nur, escaped by scaling a wall and noted that he did not know about any casualties but added that there were many people inside when the militants raided the hotel. Other witnesses also said they saw police arriving a few minutes after the initial attack, which prompted an exchange of gunfire.
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Al-Shabab Militant Group
The al-Shabab militant group is known to have control over large parts of southern and central Somalia. On Thursday, the Somali president met with defense officials in order to come up with plans on how to reclaim the territory that is under the extremist group's rule, said BBC.
They are a proscribed terrorist group by several countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States. Additionally, the latter has previously intervened to fight against the group's fighters.
One previous attack that the group conducted was in 2022 when they targeted and stormed the Villa Rays hotel located in the capital and killed at least 14 people. Three years prior to that incident, al-Shabab militants killed at least 26 individuals, including a prominent journalist and several foreigners, in an attack on the Asasey hotel.
The fight with the extremist group is not only on the ground as the Somali government is conducting efforts to battle disinformation. There were at least two websites that worked to spread the group's message that have been taken down recently but have quickly gotten back up and running once more.
The group also has in operation al-Shabab affiliated social media accounts, mainly found on Telegram and Facebook, that consistently re-emerge as soon as the recognized accounts are taken down, according to the Voice of America News.
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