Somalia’s Minister for Health and Human Services, Ali Haji Adam, announced that the militant group al-Shabab attacked a hotel located in the central Somali city of Beledweyne today.
According to the official, at least six people lost their lives and several others sustained injuries during terrorist attack on the Cairo Hotel, where traditional elders and military personnel were convening to strategize coordinated actions against al-Shabab insurgents in the area.
Minister Adam said that a suicide bomber drove a vehicle packed with explosives into the entrance of the hotel, resulting in the deaths of at leastsix people, including two elders who were present at the meeting. He emphasized that these elders had been organizing efforts to reclaim territories in the Hiraan region that remain under al-Shabab’s control.
Independent reports have suggested that the number of fatalities may surpass ten, as militants breached the hotel and opened fire during the ongoing meeting.
A senior security official has also cautioned that the number of fatalities may increase as the circumstances continue to evolve.
According to one anonymous witness, a suicide bomber drove a vehicle packed with explosives into the hotel where traditional elders were convening. Subsequently, four armed assailants entered the hotel and began firing at the individuals present.
Al-Shabab, the group engaged in an insurgency against Somalia’s internationally recognized government, has taken responsibility for the attack. The organization stated that its militants specifically aimed at high-ranking officials and community leaders within the hotel and managed to seize a stockpile of weapons. The militants also claimed that several individuals were still trapped within the hotel premises.
