After more than a 30-hour standoff, Somali authorities regained control of a hotel in Mogadishu where gunmen killed 21 people and injured dozens more.
The siege of the Hayat Hotel in Somalia’s capital ceased after midnight Saturday, after gunmen attacked the building Friday evening, according to police commissioner Abdi Hassan Hijar.
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“During the attack, the security forces rescued many civilians trapped in the hotel, including women and children,” he said.
According to officials, 117 individuals were injured, with at least 15 in severe condition.
Police have yet to provide a full account of how the attack occurred, and it is unclear how many gunmen entered the hotel.
The hotel’s manager, Ismail Abdi, told the Associated Press early Sunday that security officers were still working to evacuate the area. There was no further gunshot heard after 9 am local time.
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The Islamic extremist group Al-Shabab, which has ties to al-Qaida, claimed responsibility for the attack, which was the latest in a series of attempts to target government leaders.
The attack on the luxury hotel, which is popular with parliamentarians and other government officials, is thought to be the extremist group’s longest siege since it was thrown out of Somalia’s capital in 2011.
According to a statement issued earlier this week by US Africa Command, a US airstrike recently killed 13 Al-Shabaab fighters. It’s unclear whether the Friday attack is linked to that one.
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The US State Department stated on Saturday that it “strongly condemns the Al-Shabaab attack at the Hayat Hotel.”
Ned Price, State Department spokesperson, stated in a statement on Saturday, “We express our heartfelt condolences to the families who lost loved ones, wish a full recovery to those injured, and commend Somalia’s security forces.”
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“The United States remains steadfast in our support of Somali and African Union-led efforts to counter terrorism and build a secure and prosperous future for the people of Somalia,” he added.
In May, US President Joe Biden announced the redeployment of troops to Somalia to bolster the local administration and combat Al-Shabaab. The decision reversed former President Donald Trump‘s decision to withdraw all US soldiers from the country.