Back in August, Islamic extremists attacked the beachside hotel and killed at least 15 people. When the attack began, one of the attackers died when he detonated a car bomb at the hotel. Afterward, other armed attackers invaded the Elite hotel and started shooting anything that moved.
Attack on the Beachside Hotel in August
When the attack occurred, the beachside hotel was still a new establishment. But the hotel quickly got famous, and many Mogadishu young people, government officials, and members of the Somali diaspora frequented the establishment. The al-Shabab in Somali are greatly know for frequently targeting hotels, cafes, and restaurants in Mogadishu. The militants mainly aim to kill as many popular political figures as possible, and these individuals go to high-end hotels. Because of this, the owner of the beachfront hotel deployed heavy security to help guard the hotel.
When the attackers detonated the bomb and breached the hotel, the hotel’s security personnel engaged the attackers in heavy fire. Later on, police officers showed up at the scene and joined the fight that took about five hours to end. The police killed all four attackers in the shootout and rescued dozens of people trapped inside the hotel. Ambulance employees at the scene told reporters that the attack wounded at least 28 people.
Later on, the al-Shabab group confirmed that they carried out the bombing of the hotel in Somalia’s capital. One of their senior commanders said that some of his fellow fighters took control of the hotel’s martyrdom-seeking operation.
Back in 1991, the president of Somalia at the time was overthrown. Since then, Somalia has been plunged into chaos, and years later, the war is continuing, followed by the rise of the al-Shabab. The al-Shabab once controlled parts of Somalia, even in the countries capital. But in the year 2011, security forces drove the group out of the capital. However, some militants continue to wage war against the Somali government, and they attack even targets in Mogadishu regularly.
Hotel Reconstruction and Repair
This week, the beachside hotel owner announced he would be rebuilding his hotel after it was damaged in a bomb attack by the al-Shabab. The owner, a former Somali Minister, said that he would be rebuilding the hotel and even expanding. To many Somali citizens, this show of business confidence in a country where violence is a daily challenge was shocking.
When the al-Shabab attacked the beachside hotel, they blew out the hotel’s windows and partially destroyed its perimeter wall. The attackers then proceeded to set off grenades in the hotel, destroying staircases and killing several people. But despite all the damages, owner and former minister Mohamed Abdullahi Nur, 38, said he would reconstruct. Mr. Abdullahi told reporters he had to invest in reconstruction as to stop reconstruction for fear of violence would mean to give up business.
This month the hotel’s reconstruction ended. Mr. Abdullahi told reporters that he spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on rebuilding and repair. He said the rebuilding and repair costs exceeded the money he initially paid to build the hotel, which was $2 million. He lastly added that he planned to add some 120 duplex rooms to his hotel at the cost of $8 million.
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