Beach attack in Somali capital kills dozens
At least 32 people were killed in a suicide attack carried out by al-Shabab militants at a popular beachfront location in the Somali capital, a police spokesman reported on Saturday.
Abdifatah Adan Hassan stated that around 63 people were also wounded, some critically.
Video footage showed several bodies and injured individuals in Mogadishu’s Abdiaziz district.
Al-Shabab, which controls large parts of southern and central Somalia, is affiliated with al-Qaeda and has waged a brutal insurgency against the UN-backed government in Somalia for nearly 20 years.
In a statement claiming responsibility for the attack, al-Shabab said “politicians, [security] forces and employees from various ministries and offices” were among the casualties.
The group claims the death toll and number of injuries are much higher than the figures released by the police.
An eyewitness told AFP news agency that people were in a state of panic, as “it was hard to know what was happening because the shooting started soon after the blast”.
Abdilatif Ali said some people attempted to take cover on Lido Beach, while others tried to flee the scene.
“I saw wounded people at the beachside. People were screaming in panic and it was hard to notice who was dead and who was still alive,” he added.
In a statement claiming the attack, al-Shabab said “politicians, [security] forces and employees from various ministries and offices” were among those killed.
The group says the death toll and injuries are much higher than figures released by the police.
One eyewitness told AFP news agency people were in a state of panic, as “it was hard to know what was happening because the shooting started soon after the blast”.
Abdilatif Ali said some people attempted to take cover on Lido Beach, while others tried to flee the location.
“I saw wounded people at the beachside. People were screaming in panic and it was hard to notice who was dead and who was still alive,” he added.
