The death toll from last week’s suicide bombing on a crowded beach in the Lido area of Mogadishu, the Somali capital, has risen to 37, with nearly 70 others wounded. The attack, which occurred late last week, was one of the deadliest terrorist incidents in Somalia this year.
Police officer Ahmed Abdi confirmed the updated casualty figures and stated that an investigation is underway. The government has established a ministerial committee to coordinate the emergency response and provide support to the wounded.
Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre visited Recep Tayyip Erdogan Hospital in Mogadishu and announced the arrest of security officials and soldiers responsible for the area due to negligence. “Rest assured, we are taking strict action against those responsible,” Barre stated on social media platform X, though he did not specify the number of arrests.
Lido Beach, the site of the attack, is a popular location frequented by civilians, security officials, and businesspeople. The Al-Qaeda-affiliated group al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the bombing.
Somalia has faced significant insecurity for years, primarily due to threats from al-Shabaab and the Daesh/ISIS terror groups. Al-Shabaab has been engaged in conflict with the Somali government and the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) since 2007. The group has increased its attacks following Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s declaration of an “all-out war” on the militants.–News Desk