Victims Of Death Attack On Somali Beach Soared To 32 People. One Perpetrator Committed Suicide With Explosives

Police In Somalia/ILLUSTRATION UNSPLASH/Mogadishu

JAKARTA - It was reported that 32 civilians were killed and 63 others injured in an explosion at a beach restaurant in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, on Friday, August 2 evening. The Somali government blamed militant Islamist group al Shabaab.

The attack became the deadliest attack since two car bombs exploded near a busy market intersection in October 2022, killing 100 people and injuring 300 others.

There has been no immediate claim of responsibility from the al Shabaab group linked to Al Qaeda.

Police spokesman Abdifatah Aden said one of the attackers blew himself up, while the other three died at the hands of the authorities.

An attacker was arrested alive while a soldier was killed in the attack.

Hassan Farah, a survivor, described seconds when the explosion destroyed a quiet night.

"I was in the restaurant sipping coffee and chatting casually with friends when I saw a big man running, a moment later something like lightning and a big explosion happened," he told Reuters.

"We were covered in smoke. Inside and outside the restaurant many people were lying on the floor while others were bleeding and crying," he added.