Threats from the jihadist group Al-Shabaab struck a hotel near Mogadishu’s presidential compound last night, shaking the Somali capital. In a city that hosts ministers, government officials, and lawmakers, gunfire continued to echo into the morning as police reported the ongoing danger and the potential for more violence.
Following the assault, attackers targeted the Villa Rose hotel at the city center, a site fortified with stringent security. A blast erupted at the hotel gates around 17:00 GMT on Sunday, sending a shudder through the area and drawing in security forces.
Security forces quickly moved to halt the attack, with police spokesperson Sadiq Dodishe telling SONNA that dozens of people, including officials and civilians, were rescued as the situation unfolded.
The police spokesperson declared that the criminals would be held accountable for their actions, a statement attributed to the jihadist group Al-Shabaab which claimed responsibility for the assault.
Adam Aw Hirs, Somalia’s Deputy Environment Minister, later confirmed on social media that he survived the attack and described being safe after escaping an explosion aimed at his residence at the hotel site.
Local media reported that Somali Homeland Security Minister Mohamed Ahmed Doodishe had been wounded in the attack, although authorities have not officially verified this claim.
At this stage, it remains unclear whether there were any casualties or how many individuals might still be trapped inside the facility, awaiting rescue by security teams.
The assault comes on the heels of Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre’s remarks about a government milestone. Barre noted that since last August, the Somali Army, often with drone support from international partners including the United States, has conducted operations against Al-Shabaab, reporting significant casualties among the group.
Barre cited figures indicating that roughly 1,200 jihadists had been wounded and more than 600 had been killed in ongoing campaigns, underscoring the high human cost of the conflict and the continuing threat in the region.
Al-Shabaab has claimed multiple attacks in Mogadishu, including deadly bombings in past years. Notably, a double attack involving two bomb-laden vehicles targeted a government ministry in Mogadishu on a past date, resulting in a substantial number of fatalities and injuries.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud condemned the attack as brutal and cowardly, stressing the resolve to confront terrorism and uphold the safety of Somali citizens and institutions.
Historically, Mogadishu has endured severe violence since the civil conflict of 1991, which left the country without a centralized government and vulnerable to militias and warlords. The fight against extremism remains a defining challenge of the Somali state and its international partners, who continue to support stabilization efforts in a bid to restore lasting security.
Al-Shabaab operates across rural zones in central and southern Somalia and has conducted cross-border incursions into nearby nations such as Kenya and Ethiopia, complicating regional stability. The group seeks to topple the federal government, pressing for an extremist interpretation of governance that resonates with a faction of the population, though its actions have elicited broad opposition within Somalia and among international allies.