Somali Forces End 15-Hour Al-Shabaab Attack on Hotel in Beledweyne city

BELEDWEYNE, Somalia - Somali security forces, backed by Djiboutian troops, successfully ended a 15-hour siege by Al-Shabaab militants on the Hotel Cairo in Beledweyne, a strategic city 335 kilometers (208 miles) north of Mogadishu, officials said on Wednesday.

The assault, which began with a vehicle bomb explosion on Tuesday at 7:00 A.M., killed at least seven people, including elders, military officers, and civilians, and left several others wounded.

The attack targeted a meeting of government ministers and traditional elders discussing plans to dislodge Al-Shabaab from the western Hiiraan region, where the group maintains a strong presence.

Witnesses described intense gunfire and explosions as heavily armed militants stormed the hotel, causing significant damage to the building.

“Seven attackers were involved, some of whom blew themselves up in suicide bombings,” said Dahir Amin Jesow, a Somali member of parliament, confirming the deaths of at least six people, including two prominent elders. Local reports suggested the death toll could rise as authorities assess the aftermath.

Somali National Army (SNA) forces, supported by Djiboutian troops from the African Union mission, battled the militants into the early hours of Wednesday. The operation concluded around midnight, with security forces regaining control of the hotel after more than 15 hours of fighting.

Health Minister Dr. Ali Haji Adam Abubakar denounced the attack as an act of “barbarism” and vowed that the government would press forward with its campaign against Al-Shabaab. The extremist group, linked to al Qaeda, has waged a long-running insurgency to overthrow Somalia’s central government and impose its strict interpretation of Islamic law.

The assault underscores the persistent threat posed by Al-Shabaab, which continues to target government officials and civilians in a bid to undermine Somalia’s fragile stability. Beledweyne, a key hub in the fight against the militants, remains a focal point in the conflict gripping the country’s central and southern regions.

GAROWE ONLINE