Deadly Al‑Shabaab attack leaves 37 dead on Somali beach

At least 37 people have died following an attack by assailants on a Somali beach in the capital, Mogadishu. The Islamist organization Al-Shabaab is believed to be behind the attack. Shocking footage of the incident has appeared online.

According to Somali police, at least 37 people have died in the attack, and 75 people are in the hospital. Over 130 individuals were admitted to medical facilities but have already been discharged.

Police spokesperson Abdifatah Aden reported that a soldier was also killed in the attack, in addition to civilians. Five terrorists are believed to have carried out the attack. Reuters reports that one of the attackers blew himself up, security forces shot three, and one was captured.

Meanwhile, a shocking clip appeared online. "The shocking footage shows the moment of the explosion that shook Lido Beach in Mogadishu. A TikTok content creator filming himself was caught off guard by the blast. The recording also shows an Al-Shabaab fighter trying to enter a hotel while a bewildered woman runs after the fighter," reads the Dalsan TV profile.

Other videos posted on X show bodies lying on the beach in the dark and people fleeing to safety.

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud convened an extraordinary meeting of the country's security agencies on Saturday to investigate the attack.

Reuters agency recalls that this was the deadliest attack in Somalia since the explosion of two car bombs near a busy intersection at a marketplace in October 2022. At that time, at least 100 people died and 300 were injured.

According to the BBC, Al-Shabaab controls large southern and central Somalia areas. The group is linked to Al-Qaeda and is leading a violent rebellion against the UN-backed government in Somalia. The terrorists have stated that among the dead are "politicians, security force personnel, and workers of various ministries and offices."