Weekend Terrorist Attack at Somalia Hotel Lasts 30 Hours, Killing 21 People and Injuring 117 More

Amethyst Tate
·1 min read
Weekend Terrorist Attack at Somalia Hotel Lasts 30 Hours, Killing 21 People and Injuring 117 More

Twenty-one people were killed and more than 117 people were injured over the weekend in Somalia's capital city, according to authorities.

At the Hayat Hotel in Mogadishu, there was a 30-hour standoff between Islamic extremists and police that started Friday evening and did not end until Sunday. Fifteen of the injured are in critical condition, reported Health Minister Dr. Ali Haji Adam, adding that some victims may not have been taken to the hospital, per Associated Press.

Police commissioner Abdi Hassan Hijar spoke to reporters about the siege, saying, "During the attack, the security forces rescued many civilians trapped in the hotel, including women and children."

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The damaged structure of the Hayat Hotel in Mogadishu is seen on August 21, 2022. - The death toll from a devastating 30-hour siege by Al-Shabaab jihadists at a hotel in Somalia's capital Mogadishu has climbed to 21, Health Minister Ali Haji Adan said Sunday, as anxious citizens awaited news of missing relatives.
The damaged structure of the Hayat Hotel in Mogadishu is seen on August 21, 2022. - The death toll from a devastating 30-hour siege by Al-Shabaab jihadists at a hotel in Somalia's capital Mogadishu has climbed to 21, Health Minister Ali Haji Adan said Sunday, as anxious citizens awaited news of missing relatives.

HASSAN ALI ELMI/AFP via Getty

A police officer who only identified himself as Ahmed told Reuters during the siege, "Two car bombs targeted Hotel Hayat. One hit a barrier near the hotel and then the other hit the gate of the hotel. We believe the fighters are inside the hotel."

It is unclear how many gunmen entered the hotel.

Media report in front of destored building after a deadly 30-hour siege by Al-Shabaab jihadists at Hayat Hotel in Mogadishu on August 21, 2022. - At least 13 civilians lost their lives and dozens were wounded in the gun and bomb attack by the Al-Qaeda-linked group that began on Friday evening and lasted over a day, leaving many feared trapped inside the popular Hayat Hotel.

HASSAN ALI ELMI/AFP via Getty

The terror attack is the first since Somalia's new leader, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, took over in May, per AP.

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People clear debris in front of the destroyed Hayat Hotel after a deadly 30-hour siege by Al-Shabaab jihadists in Mogadishu on August 21, 2022. - At least 13 civilians lost their lives and dozens were wounded in the gun and bomb attack by the Al-Qaeda-linked group that began on Friday evening and lasted over a day, leaving many feared trapped inside the popular Hayat Hotel.

HASSAN ALI ELMI/AFP via Getty

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Al-Shabab, an extremist Islamic militant group, claimed responsibility for the attack.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spoke after the tragedy, saying the U.N. stands behind the people of Somalia "in their fight against terrorism and their march towards peace," reported AP.