French media: Somali al-Shabab attacked a hotel in the capital near the presidential palace – yqqlm

Reference News Network reported on November 28 that according to Agence France-Presse, on the evening of the 27th local time, a hotel in the central security zone near the presidential palace in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, was attacked by al-Shabab, which shows that these militants have the ability to continue the fight against the Somali government, which has declared “total war” against al-Shabaab.

According to reports, Somali National Police spokesman Sadiq Dudixie said in a statement that a large number of civilians and dignitaries were rescued and evacuated from the hotel called “Rose Villa”.

An eyewitness said: “I was near the ‘Villa delle Rose’ when suddenly there were two violent explosions in the hotel, the shooting continued, the area was cordoned off and I saw people fleeing”.

Al-Shabab, which is affiliated with al-Qaeda, has been trying to overthrow the Somali central government for the past 15 years, the report said. The group claimed responsibility for the attack.

The hotel, frequented by Somali lawmakers, is located in Mogadishu’s central security zone, not far from the office of the country’s president, Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud, the report said. The guesthouse is described on its website as “the safest place to stay in Mogadishu”, with metal detectors and high walls.

The African Union Transitional Mission in Somalia condemned the attack and praised the Somali security forces on Twitter for their quick response to avoid further casualties and material damage.

The newly elected Somali president in May this year reportedly decided to launch an “all-out war” against Somali Al-Shabaab not too long ago, and this new attack happened at this time.