Islamic extremist group kills 32 people in attack on beachfront in Somalia’s capital : NPR

At least 32 people were killed and 63 others were wounded in an attack that included a suicide bombing and gunfire in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, according to police.

The assault, which began late Friday, took place near a hotel on Lido Beach, a popular hangout spot for Mogadishu residents. A police spokesperson said one soldier died and the rest of the deceased and injured were civilians.

Islamic extremist group al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the Friday attack. Three insurgents died in a gunfight with law enforcement while one was captured alive, according to police.

A woman reacts while walking in a street as smoke billows in the background from an explosive-laden car diffused by the Somali police in Mogadishu on Saturday.

Hassan Ali Elmi/AFP via Getty Images

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Hassan Ali Elmi/AFP via Getty Images

On Saturday morning, a separate roadside bomb exploded 25 miles from the capital, killing seven more people and injuring four others.

The country has been inundated with attacks by al-Shabab for several years. Just last month, al-Shabab militants attempted to overrun three army bases in southern Somalia, leading to a bloody clash between the group and Somali forces, Reuters reported.

On Saturday, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and other federal authorities gathered to discuss strategies for improving the capital’s security, according to state media.

Relatives carry the body of a woman who was killed during an attack in Mogadishu.

Hassan Ali Elmi/AFP via Getty Images

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Hassan Ali Elmi/AFP via Getty Images

“The government is determined to eliminate this bloody group,” Mohamud said.

Government officials also traveled to local hospitals to meet with the victims, state media reported.

According to the National Counterterrorism Center, the goal of al-Shabab is to overthrow the Somali federal government and drive out foreign forces in the country. Another objective for the group, which is linked to al-Qaida, is to establish a fundamentalist Islamic state, the center said.

Al-Shabab emerged in response to two decades of turmoil in Somalia following the overthrow of the country’s military dictatorship. The group attempted to take over southern Somalia in 2006 but was later defeated by Somali and Ethiopian forces.

Al-Shabab remained a dangerous presence in large parts of the country over the years, carrying out a number of deadly bombings in Somalia and neighboring Kenya. Hotels, restaurants and military bases, as well as Somalia’s capital have all been a common target.

Last year, president Mohamud pledged a “total war” against the militants, the Associated Press reported. The Global Terrorism Index ranked al-Shabab as the fourth deadliest terrorist group in 2023 after tallying 227 attacks and 499 deaths attributed to the militants.

Ish Mafundikwa from Harare, Zimbabwe, contributed reporting.