A devastating explosion on a popular beach in Mogadishu, Somalia, late Friday evening resulted in the deaths of at least 32 civilians and left 63 others injured, according to police reports. Somali state media have attributed the attack to the militant Islamist group al Shabaab, reports Associated Press.
This attack marks the deadliest incident in Somalia since October 2022, when twin car bombs exploded near a busy market intersection, killing over 100 people and injuring 300. The recent beach explosion is the latest in a series of violent incidents attributed to the al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab, though the group has not immediately claimed responsibility for this attack.
AP stated in the report that the police spokesperson Abdifatah Aden reported that the explosion occurred at a beachside restaurant. In addition to the civilian casualties, one of the attackers detonated a suicide bomb, while security forces killed three others. Another attacker was captured alive, and one soldier lost his life during the assault. State news agency SONNA initially reported that five attackers were killed by security forces, with a sixth blowing himself up.
Survivor Hassan Farah recounted the horrifying experience, describing how the explosion abruptly disrupted a peaceful evening. “I was in the restaurant sipping coffee and chatting with friends when suddenly, there was a flash of light and a massive blast,” Farah told Reuters. “We were engulfed in smoke. Inside and outside the restaurant, many people were lying on the ground, bleeding and crying.”
Disturbing footage posted on social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) showed bodies lying on the beach amid the chaos and people fleeing to safety.
Despite being pushed back by government counteroffensives since 2022, al Shabaab remains capable of launching major attacks against government, commercial, and military targets in Somalia. The timing of the attack, coinciding with a busy period at the beach, underscores the group’s intent to inflict maximum harm on the Somali people, former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire remarked on his X account.
