37 killed in terrorist attack on popular Somalia beach

A police spokesperson said that one soldier was killed and another wounded, while the rest of the dead were civilians.

A view shows the deserted scene of an explosion that occurred while revellers were swimming at the Lido beach in Mogadishu, Somalia August 3, 2024. REUTERS/Feisal Omar

At least 37 civilians were killed and 212 injured in a suicide bombing and gun attack at a popular beach restaurant in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, late on Friday, Health Minister Ali Hajji Adam said.

Al-Qaida’s East Africa affiliate, al-Shabab, which the Somali government has been fighting since 2007, said through its radio station that its fighters carried out the attack, according to a report by Associated press.

Ali Haji stated at a press conference, late on Saturday that 11 of the injured were in critical condition. Additionally, 64 people remain in hospital with serious wounds, while 137 individuals with minor injuries have been discharged after treatment.

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A woman walks on the beach as black smoke is seen rising in the background following an attack in Mogadishu, Somalia, Saturday Aug. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Farah Abdi Warsameh)

The attack was the deadliest in Somalia since twin car bombs exploded near a busy market intersection in October 2022, killing at least 100 people and wounding 300 others.

Agence France-Presse reported that police and witnesses stated the bomber detonated his device at the beach, followed by gunmen storming the area. State media indicated that government forces “neutralised” the attackers after a gunfight. Meanwhile, another attacker was captured alive, said Reuters.

Survivor Hassan Farah described the chaos to Reuters, “I was in the restaurant sipping coffee and chatting with friends when I saw a large man running. In an instant, there was a flash of light and a massive explosion. We were enveloped in smoke, and people were lying on the floor, bleeding and crying both inside and outside the restaurant.”

An army officer gesture to people on the beach following an attack in Mogadishu, Somalia, Saturday Aug. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Farah Abdi Warsameh)

On Saturday morning, the beach was littered with sandals and shoes left behind as people fled the scene. In addition to the civilian casualties at the beach restaurant, police spokesperson Abdifatah Aden confirmed that one soldier was also killed, news agency Reuters reported.

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Following the attack, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre met with security agencies to devise plans for strengthening the city’s security, as announced by the president’s office on X. “The government is determined to eliminate the terrorists. The terrorists want to terrify the civilians. Let the civilians report the terrorists hiding among them,” the post stated.

Somali officials generally use the term “terrorists” to refer to al Shabaab without directly naming the group. Despite being pushed back by government counteroffensives since 2022, al Shabaab remains capable of launching major attacks on government, commercial, and military targets.

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