As citizens living in a country, they know that the government protects them every day. However, in Somalia, there are very many cases of insecurity. Most of them are because of the armed group known as Al-shabaab. Recently, the armed group has attacked the capital of Somalia.
Brief Description of the Al-Shabaab
Al-Shabaab is a terrorist group near East Africa. In 2012, it pledged loyalty to Al-Qaeda. In February the same year, some of the group’s leaders disagreed with the militant Islamist group over the alliance. 2 years later, there was an analysis of the group’s troop strength. According to estimation, there were about 9000 fighters.
Al-Shabaab started as the armed division of the ICU which broke up into smaller groups after its defeat in 2006. It yielded to Somalia’s TFG. The armed group depicts itself as engaging in a war against the foes of Islam. It is also waging war against the Federal Government of Somalia and the AU Mission to Somalia.
Australia, Canada, Malaysia, the UK, and the United States have labeled the armed group as a terrorist organization. In 2011, the Transitional Federal Government’s soldiers and AMISOM friends took the capital from the group. In September 2014, there was a US attack that was part of the mission whereby Mukhtar Abu died.
The death of the armed group’s leader did not weaken it as to date it has remained strong and active. Al-Shabaab is accountable for most terrorist attacks whereby many people lose their lives. The group was involved in the Westgate Mall attack in Kenya, 2017, and 2019 Mogadishu bombings.
The Al-Shabaab Attack at The Elite Hotel
According to a government spokesman, the attack resulted in over 15 people losing their lives. Over 12 sustained injuries after the attack at the Elite hotel in Mogadishu. The siege ended after a more than a 1-hour gunfight between the group’s militants and the security forces. The event started with a suicide car bomb blast.
Among the 12 victims were more than one government official, over 2 hotel security guards, and over 2 civilians. Ismael, the government spokesman, told the Associated Press that the security forces killed the 4 attackers.
How the Attack Started
The attack began in the afternoon with a car bomb. The attackers went inside the premises and took hostages. People could hear loud ambulance sirens in the region that had a power outage when the incident began. The military cars surrounded the Elite hotel.
After the Attack, What Witnesses Saw and Somalia’s Chaos History
The paramedics saved some of the victims as they took over 25 injured guests to the hospital. The witnesses who saw the incident said the attack started with a powerful bomb blast. Some said that people were running to save their lives.
Ali Sayid, a witness, says:
“The blast was heavy and I could see smoke in the area. There is chaos and people are fleeing from nearby buildings.”
Somalia dived into war after 1991 takeover of president Siad’s military rule resulting in many years of war.
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