Saturday, November 09, 2013
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The Somali government on Saturday strongly condemned the latest car bomb attack on a popular hotel in the capital Mogadishu, which left at least five people dead.The explosion hit the vicinity of Makka Hotel on Friday evening causing more than 30 casualties along the main street in the heart of the Somali capital Mogadishu.
The toll has risen to five and 26 others were injured in the blast, state radio Mogadishu reported.
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud denounced the attack as "terrorist."
"I strongly condemn this heinous act of terrorism outside Maka Al-Mukurama Hotel by Al-Shabaab, which caused deaths and injuries to civilians," the Somali president said in a statement after the attack.
President Hassan said the aim of the attack was to terrorize people and stop the progress in peace and stability in the Horn of Africa country.
Security forces said they have apprehended a man who tried to detonate explosives hidden in a laptop inside the Makka Hotel nearly an hour before the car bomb was detonated.
Officials said the man thought to be member of the Al-Shabaab group is being questioned by security forces.
The Islamist Al-Shabaab group has claimed responsibility for the attack on the hotel which is frequented by government officials and Somalis from the diaspora.
Mohamed Yusuf Omar Madaale, spokesman for Somali security agencies, said an investigation was underway into the incident.
Among the slain victims were a former Somali ambassador to Britain and other civilians. The attack caused most of the casualties outside the hotel.