Al-Shabab Terrorism: Somali forces claim end to deadly 30-hour hotel siege, over 40 dead

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The siege that claimed dozens of lives and lasted nearly 30 hours after Al-Shabaab terrorists seized Mogadishu’s Hayat Hotel was finished, media reports citing government forces stated on Saturday.

According to Somali Guardian, terrorist strike by al-Shabaab resulted in 40 fatalities and more than 70 injuries. Abdiasis Abu Musab, a spokesperson for Al-Shabaab, said that organisation successfully resisted more than 15 attacks by government forces.

Hayat Hotel, a favourite hangout for parliamentarians and government officials, was the scene of three explosions and gunfire on Friday night between Somali security forces and al-Shabaab members.

According to local media, the firing has been going on between the attackers and the security officials for close to 30 hours.

The fall of Siad Barre’s rule in 1991 caused Somalia as a whole to disintegrate. The federal administration, which oversees the capital of Mogadishu and many other regions, is acknowledged by the international world as the only legal power.

Al-Shabaab, a terrorist organisation linked to al-Qaeda, has been fighting the Somalian government in armed conflict and continues to hold significant territory in the south and centre of the nation.

To counter the mounting threat that al-Shabaab posed to US partner forces, the US decided to resume strikes against the group’s positions back in May, according to the Russian news agency.

According to the US Africa Command, 13 al-Shabaab militants were killed in the most recent US attack in Somalia on August 14.

The terrorist assault on a well-known hotel in Mogadishu was denounced by the international community on Saturday.

In the strongest terms possible, India too denounced the assault on the Hayat Hotel in Mogadishu. It also offered sincere condolences to the victims’ families and reaffirmed that India supports the Somalian government and people in their battle against terrorism.