Al-Shabab terrorists attack hotel in Somalia's Mogadishu; 7 casualties reported so far

A hotel in Somalia was attacked by terrorists on Sunday, who barged into the premises with guns and started firing indiscriminately on people after a vehicle carrying explosives hit the entrance gate. The attack was claimed by the terrorist organisation Al-Shabab, who took responsibility on their radio channel Andalus. The attack took place near the capital Mogadishu's strategic K-4 junction on Sunday afternoon.

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The casualty figures have not been disclosed by the authorities yet but several people are suspected of being killed or wounded. According to the Associated Press, a vehicle carrying explosives hit the entrance gate of Afrik hotel following which armed gunmen went inside, and started shooting at customers and staff members. Local police responded to the attack and managed to rescue an army general and the owner of the hotel, including several other people. 

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Somalia conflict

The ongoing civil war in Somalia escalated after the fall of the military junta government in 1991, which was led by Siad Barre. The country became a failed state with no law and order in the absence of a central government. The United Nations intervened in 1992 but had to withdraw its peacekeeping forces following attacks on its personnel. Several factions were formed and with no one to fill the power vacuum an all-out civil war broke out in the country. Religious laws were imposed in many parts of the country, especially in the South by rebel militant groups. 

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In the early 2000s, a Transitional National Government took over the affairs in the country, which brought the fighting under control to some extent. In 2006, after the Ethiopian Army invaded the southern part of Somalia and overthrew the Islamic Courts Union, the violent re-escalated. Members of the ICU broke away and formed smaller militant groups, one of which became to be known as Al-Shabab. The terrorist group notably took over Mogadishu from the Ethiopian Army, which was occupying the city at the time. The internationally recognised Somalian government managed to take back Mogadishu from Al-Shabab in 2011 but violence continues until this day. 

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(Image Credit: AP)