Somalia: Six civilians and three policemen killed after 6-hour siege of Mogadishu hotel
After a six-hour siege by al-Shabaab Islamists, Somali authorities have regained control of Pearl Beach, a hotel in a working-class district of the capital. Six civilians and three members of the security forces were killed and ten civilians injured.
A police officer stands outside the Pearl Beach Hotel after the attack, in Mogadishu, June 10, 2023. REUTERS - FEISAL OMAR
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With our correspondent in Nairobi, Albane Thirouard
The siege lasted six long hours before security forces put an end to this new attack. This Saturday morning, June 10, we could see on social networks photos of the Pearl Beach Hotel with its broken windows and destroyed walls.
The attack began shortly before 20 p.m. on Friday night when seven assailants stormed the hotel on Mogadishu's waterfront. The restaurant was full, according to a testimony collected by AFP.
Three security agents were killed in last night's operation to secure #PearlBeach hotel in Mogadishu. Here is a video clip of them last night, putting their lives in harms way, fighting without a helmet or body armour. pic.twitter.com/KFEoZlGqRh
— Harun Maruf (@HarunMaruf) June 10, 2023
9 dead and 10 injured
Exchanges of fire between Islamist fighters and security forces followed until the attackers were neutralized around 2 a.m., according to police. Six civilians and three members of the security forces were killed and ten civilians injured. And "security forces managed to rescue 84 people, including women, children and the elderly," the statement said.
The UN mission in Somalia condemned the attack on Pearl Beach. On Twitter, it announced that one of its employees, working for the WHO, had been killed.
The @UN in #Somalia condemns the deadly #AlShabaab attack on the Pearl Hotel in #Mogadishu on Friday which led to civilian casualties, including a @WHOSom staff member, and wishes a speedy recovery for the injured. The #UN stands resolutely with all #Somalis against #terrorism. pic.twitter.com/hlS3jPpJzK
— UNSOM (@UNSomalia) June 10, 2023
« Total War »
The attack comes as Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud has declared "all-out war" against al-Shabab. It launched a military offensive in September. But Islamists continue to carry out retaliatory attacks, showing their ability to strike in the heart of cities and military installations.
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The attack in a working-class area of Mogadishu is a bit of a shock, given that security in the city was thought to be improving in recent weeks," Omar Mahmood, an East Africa analyst at the International Crisis Group (ICG), told AFP. "It appears that al-Shabaab is undertaking a series of attacks to slow down a possible offensive by the government and its allies."
The last large-scale attack in the capital was in October 2022. Two car bombs exploded, killing 121 people. Last month, al-Shabaab attacked a base of ATMIS, the African Union force in Somalia, killing 54 Ugandan soldiers. While the current mandate of ATMIS provides for its gradual withdrawal by the end of 2024.
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