Al-Shabaab Attack on Mogadishu Beach Kills at Least 32

An Al-Shabaab suicide bomber and gunmen attacked a busy beach in Mogadishu, Somalia, resulting in 32 deaths and numerous injuries, making it one of the deadliest assaults in recent months, police reported on Saturday.

The al-Qaida-linked militants, who have been fighting against Somalia’s internationally supported federal government for over 17 years, have previously targeted the popular Lido beach area, frequented by businesspeople and officials.

Unverified videos circulated online immediately after the attack, showing people fleeing and bloodied bodies lying on the beach.

“More than 32 civilians died in this attack and about 63 others were wounded, some of them critically,” police spokesman Abdifatah Adan Hassan stated during a press conference.

“Targeting and killing 32 civilians demonstrates that these Kharijites are not just attacking government centers, soldiers, and officials,” he said, using the term Somali officials often use for Al-Shabaab.

The assault, claimed by Al-Shabaab on a pro-Shabaab website, started late on Friday when a suicide bomber detonated a device and gunmen stormed the area, police and witnesses told AFP.

Officer Mohamed Omar informed AFP that the gunmen “shot civilians randomly.” Security forces ended the attack by killing five gunmen, while a sixth militant detonated a device at the beach.

Witnesses described the chaos at the popular location when the explosion occurred, followed by gunmen storming the area.

“Everybody was panicked and it was hard to know what was happening because shooting started soon after the blast,” witness Abdilatif Ali told AFP. He saw many people on the ground, some dead and others wounded.

Ahmed Yare, watching from a nearby hotel, saw the wounded and heard people screaming in panic, unable to distinguish between the dead and the injured.

Al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility for numerous bombings and attacks in Mogadishu and other parts of Somalia, even as the government continues its offensive against the militants.

The Lido area has faced previous attacks, including a six-hour siege of a beachside hotel by Al-Shabaab in 2023, resulting in six civilian deaths and 10 injuries. Last month, a powerful car bomb blast at a capital cafe killed five people. In March, militants killed three people and wounded 27 in a prolonged siege of another Mogadishu hotel, breaking a period of relative calm.