MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Police in Somalia said Saturday that 32 people were killed and 63 others wounded in an attack on a beachfront hotel in the capital, Mogadishu, the night before.
Police spokesman Major Abdifatah Adan Hassa told reporters that one soldier was killed in the attack and the rest were civilians.
Another soldier was also wounded in the attack, Hassan said. Witnesses reported an explosion followed by gunfire.
Al-Shabaab, the East African branch of al-Qaeda, reported on the radio that its fighters carried out the attack.
Lido Beach, a popular area in Mogadishu, is bustling on Friday nights as Somalis enjoy their weekend.
Lido Beach, a popular area in Mogadishu, is bustling on Friday nights as Somalis enjoy their weekend.
A witness, Mohamud Moalim, told The Associated Press he saw an attacker wearing an explosive vest just before the man “blew himself up next to the hotel overlooking the beach.”
Moalim said some of his friends who were with him at the hotel were killed and others were injured.
Another witness, Abdisalam Adam, told AP he saw “many people lying on the ground” and that he helped take some of the injured to hospital.
The Lido Beach area has been targeted in the past by militants affiliated with al-Shabaab, the most recent attack being last year nine people killed.
