ICC Note: Islamist terrorist group Al-Shabaab is claiming responsibility for the attack on a hotel in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, which killed 11 people. They targeted this hotel because important Somali politicians, lawmakers, and businessmen frequently stay there. During the attack, militants detonated a bomb before entering the hotel, gunning down roughly 15 people according to reports. Al-Shabaab has terrorized Somalia and eastern Kenya with consistent terror attacks. They have gained notoriety for specifically targeting Christians, sometimes separating them from Muslims during attacks, slaughtering the believers while letting Muslims go free.
By Kevin Sieff
06/27/2016, Mogadishu, Somalia (The Washington Post) – At least 11 people were killed and several others wounded Saturday in an attack carried out by al-Qaeda-affiliated militants on a well-known hotel in the Somali capital, officials said.
The assault on the Nasa Hablood hotel, near a busy intersection in southern Mogadishu, occurred in late afternoon. The hotel is frequented by politicians, lawmakers and Somali businessmen.
According to witnesses and security officials, attackers detonated a car loaded with explosives at the main entrance of the hotel before a number of gunmen stormed the building.
Attacks on Mogadishu hotels have been common in recent months, as al-Shabaab, a Somali Islamist extremist group, has targeted the places where high-profile government officials live and work. Some of those hotels have grown increasingly fortified, but many remain vulnerable in a city where security forces are still fighting to establish full control.
Earlier this month, the militant group attacked the Ambassador Hotel, killing about 15 people. Two Somali lawmakers were among the dead in that assault, according to Reuters.
…
