2024 Lido Beach attack

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2024 Lido Beach attack
Part of Somali civil war (2009–present)
Liido Beach Muqdisho 2020.jpg
Lido Beach (2020)
2024 Lido Beach attack
Native nameWeeraradii Xeebta Liido
Location Lido Beach, Mogadishu Somalia
Coordinates 2°2′25″N45°21′49″E / 2.04028°N 45.36361°E / 2.04028; 45.36361
Date2 August 2024;53 days ago (2024-08-02) (EAT)
TargetBeach View Hotel, Lido Beach
Attack type
Deaths44+ (Including 6 perpetrators) [1]
Injured212+ [2]
PerpetratorsShabaabFlag.svg Al-Shabaab [3]
No. of participants
7

On 2 August 2024, Al-Shabaab attacked Lido Beach in Somalia's capital Mogadishu. The attack started with a suicide bombing, followed by a mass shooting inside a hotel. [4] Explosions and gunfire shook a hotel near the beach, with restaurants and other hotels in the area also being targeted. A suicide bomber blew themselves up near the Beach View Hotel, leading to the deaths of at least 38 people and injuries to hundreds of others. [5]

Contents

It was the deadliest attack in the Horn of Africa since twin car bombs detonated near a busy market intersection in October 2022, killing at least 121 people and wounding 350 others. [6] [7]

Background

Jihadist group Al-Shabaab began an insurgency in 2006, joining the Somali Civil War to impose Sharia law. [8]

Lido Beach is a common spot to visit in Mogadishu, especially busy on Friday nights when Somalis gather to enjoy their weekend. The area has been targeted by Al-Shabaab militants before. The most recent attack before this one was in June 2023, when nine people were killed. [9]

Beach View Hotel, a popular place on Lido Beach in Mogadishu. It is often visited by government officials and civilians. Al-Shabaab attacks locations like this to cause fear and instability, get attention for their cause, and show that they can attack even well-protected hotels and restaurants. [10] [11]

Attack

The attack started when a suicide bomber exploded at the entrance of the Beach View Hotel, Other attackers tried to enter the hotel and also shot and killed people on the beach. Security forces engaged in a shootout, reportedly killing some militants. [12] [13]

Aftermath

Security forces safely deactivated a vehicle that was full of explosives. [14] [15] [5] One of those killed was a soldier. The suicide bomber and the five gunmen were killed, [16] while a seventh attacker, an attempted suicide car bomber, was arrested. [1]

A protest was held at the site of the attack on 5 August, with demonstrators calling for stronger security measures. [17]

UK in Somalia

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) advises those in Mogadishu to remain vigilant and avoid crowded areas following the Top Coffee bombing in July and the Lido Beach attack. [18]

Reactions

Local

The President of Puntland, Said Abdullahi Deni, along with former Presidents Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed and Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, and former Prime Ministers Abdiweli Gaas, Omar Sharmarke, and Hassan Ali Khaire, have all condemned the recent attack. Former Minister of Planning Abdirahman Abdishakur, as well as other government officials, also condemned the attack. However, the current President, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, has not yet responded. [5]

International

Moussa Faki Mahamat, chair of the African Union Commission, expressed condolences to the relatives of the victims. [1]

The attack was condemned by the Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, [19] [20] Djiboutian President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh, [21] the United States, [22] the United Kingdom, [23] the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia, [24] Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit, the Arab Parliament [25] [26] and the Turkish Foreign Ministry. [27]

Individuals

The secretary of state for foreign, Commonwealth and development affairs, David Lammy tweeted;

David Lammy X logo 2023.svg
@DavidLammy

The attack on Lido Beach was a horrific and cowardly act of terrorism. My thoughts are with the victims and their families following this unforgivable tragedy.

The UK stands shoulder to shoulder with Somalia in the fight against terrorism.

August 4, 2024 [28]

See also

Other attacks in Lido Beach:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 Hargeisa–Bosaso bombings</span>

The Hargeisa–Bosaso bombings occurred on October 29, 2008, when six suicide bombers attacked in coordinated car bombings targets in Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland, and the Puntland port of Bosaso in northeastern Somalia. The bombings killed at least 30 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Somali Civil War (2009–present)</span> Ongoing conflict in the Horn of Africa

The Somali Civil War (2009–present) is the ongoing phase of the Somali Civil War which is concentrated in southern and central Somalia. It began in late January 2009 with the present conflict mainly between the forces of the Federal Government of Somalia assisted by African Union peacekeeping troops and al-Shabaab militants who pledged alliegence to al-Qaeda during 2012.

Two large-scale attacks against AMISOM soldiers carried out by al-Shabaab suicide bombers in Mogadishu, Somalia occurred in 2009. In total 32 people, including 28 AMISOM soldiers, were killed and 55 people were injured.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 Hotel Shamo bombing</span> 2009 terror attack in Mogadishu, Somalia

The 2009 Hotel Shamo bombing was a suicide bombing at the Hotel Shamo in Mogadishu, Somalia, on 3 December 2009. The bombing killed 25 people, including three ministers of the Transitional Federal Government, and injured 60 more, making it the deadliest attack in Somalia since the Beledweyne bombing on 18 June 2009 that claimed more than 30 lives.

This article contains a timeline of events for the Somalimilitant group al-Shabaab.

An attack occurred on 21 January 2016 in Mogadishu, Somalia. Al-Shabaab drove a suicide car bomb at the gate of the Beach View Café, a seafood restaurant overlooking the city's Lido Beach. Another blast struck about an hour later as government soldiers laid siege to the restaurant. After the blasts, militants entered the building, some of them by boat, and attacked civilians within. About 20 people were killed and 17 others wounded. Several perpetrators were also killed and one was arrested.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lido Beach, Mogadishu</span> Beach in Somalia

Lido Beach is a beach in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, which overlooks the Somali Sea. The name derives from the Italian word for "beach". The name Liido is also very popular among locals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 timeline of the Somali Civil War</span>

This is a 2016 timeline of events in the Somali Civil War (2009–present).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 timeline of the Somali Civil War</span>

This is a 2017 timeline of events in the Somali Civil War (2009–present).

This is a 2022 timeline of events in the Somali Civil War (2009–present).

This is a 2019 timeline of events in the Somali Civil War (2009–present).

On 22 April 2022, at least six people were killed and seven injured in a suicide bombing at a restaurant in Mogadishu, Somalia. The Pescatore Seafood Restaurant had recently opened in the seaside area of Lido Beach. The explosion was detonated by an Al-Shabaab suicide bomber who had been denied access inside the restaurant, where the Somali Police Commissioner and several lawmakers gathered to have an Iftar meal to break the Ramadan fast. None of the legislators were harmed in the explosion, but some of the security personnel were among those killed in the blast. Local police did not specify how many, but did say those killed were mostly civilians.

On 16 August 2020, Five Al-Shabaab attackers killed at least eleven people at the Elite Hotel in Lido Beach, Mogadishu, Somalia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Somali Ministry of Education bombings</span> Double car bombing attack in Somalia

On 29 October 2022, 121 people were killed and over 300 were injured by a double car bombing in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud accused Sunni jihadist group al-Shabaab of carrying out the attacks, which they admitted. The bombing marks the deadliest attack in Somalia since the 14 October 2017 Mogadishu bombings at the same junction.

Events in the year 2023 in Somalia.

On 10 June 2023, al-Shabaab militants attacked a hotel in Lido Beach, Mogadishu, Somalia, resulting in the killing of six civilians, three soldiers and seven attackers.

Events in the year 2024 in Somalia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 timeline of the Somali Civil War</span>

This is a 2024 timeline of events in the Somali Civil War (2009–present).

On 14 July 2024, a car bomb exploded near Daljirka Daahsoon in Boondheere, Mogadishu. The explosion happened at 10:28 p.m. local time. The target was Top Coffee a Coffeehouse where people were watching the Euro 2024 final football match between England and Spain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 Mogadishu tea shop bombing</span> 2024 terrorist attack at a tea shop in Mogadishu, Somalia

On August 17, 2024, at around 2:15pm local time, an explosion caused by an improvised explosive device (IED) planted by Al-Shabaab killed 20 people at a tea shop in Daynile District in northwest Mogadishu. Another 10 people were seriously injured in the attack, and the death toll is expected to rise due to the severity of the injuries. This was Al-Shabaab's second-largest attack in Mogadishu in August, following an attack on Lido Beach.

References

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  2. "Somalia beach attack kills 37 civilians, minister says". Reuters . 2 August 2024. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
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  4. "Militants storm beachside hotel in Somalia's capital". Xinhua Net. 2 August 2024. Archived from the original on 2 August 2024. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
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  7. Mohamed, Hussein (3 August 2024). "Terrorist Attack on Crowded Beachfront in Somalia Kills at Least 32". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 22 August 2024.
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  14. 𝕯𝖗. 𝐗𝐈𝐃𝐃𝐈𝐆 (3 August 2024). "Mogadishu:Lido Beach Attack Claims Over 30 Lives And Injures More Than 150". Idil News. Archived from the original on 4 August 2024. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
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  18. "Somalia travel advice". GOV.UK. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  19. "Abiy Ahmed Ali".
  20. "PM Abiy extends condolences over terrorist attack on Mogadishu's popular beach". Fana Broadcasting. 3 August 2024. Archived from the original on 3 August 2024. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  21. "Ismail Omar Guelleh".
  22. "US Embassy in Somalia".
  23. "UK in Somalia".
  24. "United Nations condemns terrorist attack on Mogadishu beach". UNSOM. 3 August 2024. Archived from the original on 3 August 2024. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  25. https://www.sis.gov.eg/Story/194031/Abul-Gheit-condemns-Mogadishu-terrorist-attack?lang=en-us
  26. "Arab Parliament Denounces Terrorist Attack in Mogadishu". english.aawsat.com. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  27. "Türkiye condemns deadly terrorist attack in Somalia". www.aa.com.tr. Archived from the original on 4 August 2024. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  28. David Lammy [@DavidLammy] (4 August 2024). "The attack on Lido Beach was a horrific and cowardly act of terrorism. My thoughts are with the victims and their families following this unforgivable tragedy. The UK stands shoulder to shoulder with Somalia in the fight against terrorism" (Tweet) via Twitter.