Somali police said on Saturday, August 3 (13 Asad) that at least 32 people were killed and dozens of others were injured in the attack by suicide bombers and gunmen on the crowded beach in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.

According to Somali police, this is the deadliest attack in the country in recent months.

The extremist group Al-Shabaab, which is affiliated with the Al-Qaeda network, has been fighting against the federal government of the country for 17 years, a government recognized by the international community.

In the past, this group has also visited the coast, targeting individuals, tradesmen and officials.

Unverified videos circulated on social media shortly after the attack, showing people fleeing on the roads. These videos show a number of people apparently contaminated with blood on the beach.

Abdul Fattah Adan Hassan, the police spokesman, told reporters in a press conference: “More than 32 civilians were killed in this attack, and about 63 others were injured, some of them in serious condition.”

Aden Hassan added: “Targeting and detonating to kill 32 civilians means that these Khawarij are not only going to target government centers, soldiers and officials.”

Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for this attack.

Mohammad Omar, a police officer, told AFP news agency that al-Shabaab militants would shoot civilians without a target.

According to Omar, the security forces killed five armed men during the counter-operation and the sixth person blew himself up on the beach.

Witnesses said that if a large number of people were present on the beach during the explosion, armed individuals would start firing after the explosion.

Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud, the president of Somalia, wrote on X social media that he will hold an emergency meeting with the prime minister and key security officials.

Al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility for many attacks in Mogadishu and other parts of Somalia. Meanwhile, the Somali government has launched an offensive against the extremist group.

Moussa Faki Mohammed, the head of the African Union Executive Commission, has described the attack as “horrific and cruel” while expressing his condolences to the families of the victims.

The United Nations in Somalia called the attack a “hateful act” that “implies severe punishment.”

The United States considers al-Shabaab to be the largest and most active branch of al-Qaeda in the world. This group merged with al-Qaeda in February 2012.

Al-Shabaab was founded in 2007 and since then it has been trying to overthrow the foreign-backed government of Somalia through deadly attacks.

In 2011, Somali security forces drove Al-Shabaab militants out of Mogadishu, the capital of Kishwar. The Somali government will support the peacekeeping forces of the African Union and the United States air strikes in August 2022 to launch a large-scale offensive against al-Shabaab, however, the extremist group is still capable of carrying out deadly attacks.

Al-Shabaab still controls parts of Somalia and carries out deadly attacks against civilians, politicians and military centers.
Part of this report was taken from France Press.