An attack by al-Shabab on the Qahira Hotel in Beledweyne, Somalia, has left at least ten dead as the siege continues. The assault, starting with a car bomb, coincided with a meeting of local officials discussing plans against the group.
Siege at Beledweyne Hotel: Al-Shabab Attack Claims Lives
Siege at Beledweyne Hotel: Al-Shabab Attack Claims Lives
Armed Islamist militants launch deadly assault in Somalia, resulting in numerous casualties and ongoing clashes with security forces.
Article Text:
Armed Islamist militants have launched a violent attack on a hotel in Beledweyne, a city in central Somalia, triggering a siege that has escalated quickly, as confirmed by police and witnesses. The raid by the al-Shabab group commenced with a car bomb explosion, which was followed by armed assailants entering the Qahira Hotel and initiating fierce clashes with security forces responding to the attack.
Initial reports from law enforcement indicated that at least four people had been killed, but local witnesses have since reported that the death toll has surged to ten, as the standoff between security forces and the gunmen remains ongoing. Al-Shabab, known for its affiliation with al-Qaeda, has conducted a relentless insurgency in Somalia for over twenty years. This particular assault transpired while politicians, security officials, and traditional leaders were convened at the hotel to strategize a military operation against the insurgency in central Somalia.
Beledweyne is strategically located approximately 335 kilometers (208 miles) north of Mogadishu, the capital, making it crucial in the fight against al-Shabab. A police officer, named Ali Mahad, mentioned that many individuals trapped inside the hotel have been rescued, and that security forces are currently containing several shooters within one section of the building.
Dahir Amin Jesow, a federal legislator from the region, disclosed that nearly seven gunmen were reportedly holed up in the hotel. Jesow emphasized the urgency of deploying troops with heavier weaponry to eliminate the threat. Witnesses, including a local shopkeeper named Ali Suleiman, described the scene, stating, "We first heard a huge blast followed by gunfire, then another blast was heard," highlighting the chaos that ensued during the initial moments of the assault.
While the exact number of injuries remains unclear, the lawmaker disclosed that attempts are being made to arrange air transport to take the wounded to hospitals in Mogadishu for urgent medical care.
Armed Islamist militants have launched a violent attack on a hotel in Beledweyne, a city in central Somalia, triggering a siege that has escalated quickly, as confirmed by police and witnesses. The raid by the al-Shabab group commenced with a car bomb explosion, which was followed by armed assailants entering the Qahira Hotel and initiating fierce clashes with security forces responding to the attack.
Initial reports from law enforcement indicated that at least four people had been killed, but local witnesses have since reported that the death toll has surged to ten, as the standoff between security forces and the gunmen remains ongoing. Al-Shabab, known for its affiliation with al-Qaeda, has conducted a relentless insurgency in Somalia for over twenty years. This particular assault transpired while politicians, security officials, and traditional leaders were convened at the hotel to strategize a military operation against the insurgency in central Somalia.
Beledweyne is strategically located approximately 335 kilometers (208 miles) north of Mogadishu, the capital, making it crucial in the fight against al-Shabab. A police officer, named Ali Mahad, mentioned that many individuals trapped inside the hotel have been rescued, and that security forces are currently containing several shooters within one section of the building.
Dahir Amin Jesow, a federal legislator from the region, disclosed that nearly seven gunmen were reportedly holed up in the hotel. Jesow emphasized the urgency of deploying troops with heavier weaponry to eliminate the threat. Witnesses, including a local shopkeeper named Ali Suleiman, described the scene, stating, "We first heard a huge blast followed by gunfire, then another blast was heard," highlighting the chaos that ensued during the initial moments of the assault.
While the exact number of injuries remains unclear, the lawmaker disclosed that attempts are being made to arrange air transport to take the wounded to hospitals in Mogadishu for urgent medical care.
