Jihadist Attack on Hotel Leaves 16 Dead in Somalia

On Monday, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that one of its officials was killed in the jihadist attack on a Mogadishu hotel, which left 16 dead early Saturday morning.

RELATED:

27 Children Died in Blast in Somalia, UNICEF “Deeply Shocked

Nasra Hassan, the deceased WHO worker, was a 27-year-old Somali woman who had enrolled with the WHO to help support the population affected by recent droughts.

"She was appreciated by her colleagues for her dedication, ambition, and commitment," WHO Regional Director Ahmed Al-Mandhari said, sending condolences to the family of the victims.

The terrorist attack against Pearl Beach hotel, on Lido beach, is not the first to suffer an attack of this type since Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud took power in May 2022.

The attack has been attributed to the terrorist group Al-Shabab, which often perpetrates attacks with the goal of overthrowing the government and establishing an Islamic State.

Currently, this jihadist group controls rural areas of central and southern Somalia and also attacks neighboring countries such as Kenya and Ethiopia.

In separate statements, the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) and the United Nations  said terrorist attacks including the latest on Pearl Beach Hotel in Mogadishu by al-Shabab extremist group will not dissuade efforts to stabilize Somalia.

"The targeting of civilians going about their lives is an act of cowardice and against principles of International Humanitarian Law," said Mohammed El-Amine Souef, the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the AU Commission for Somalia and ATMIS head.

The police said six civilians and three security officers were among those killed in the incident at the Lido Beach, where 84 people, including children, women and elders were trapped.