Somalia: Death toll in beachfront restaurant attack hits 32

MOGADISHU, Somalia - At least 32 people have been confirmed dead in Mogadishu’s Lido beach attack, officials said, in an incident in which Al-Shabaab militants have taken responsibility, despite heavy security presence within the country's most secure city.

Mogadishu has enjoyed relative peace for a while due to the heavy presence of the security teams, including the Somali National Army (SNA) and the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), deployed in the capital city.

Major Abdifatah Adan Hassan, the spokesperson of the police, said the death toll has climbed to 32 after many other people succumbed to their injuries. At first, 8 civilians were pronounced dead by the police team in Somalia.

"Somali Police Force spokesman Major Abdifatah Adan Hassan confirmed in a Mogadishu press conference that the brutal terrorist attack on Lido Beach has killed over 32 people and injured 63 others," state media reports.

Initial reports showed that 8 civilians had been killed in the popular Lido beach with 30 others critically injured. Police in Somalia also confirmed the death of 5 Alshabaab militants who had waged the attack after a gunfight with the militants.

The militants are said to have fired randomly at close range as many people scampered for their safety, forcing security forces to intervene almost immediately. The government accused Al-Shabaab of triggering cowardly security attacks.

For the first time in as many months, the town witnessed the rampant killing of innocent civilians, who were enjoying moments on the public beach. The government has been fighting Alshabaab in coordinated raids within the last two years.

GAROWE ONLINE