US vows support for Somalia after deadly hotel attack in Mogadishu

Hiiraan Online
Thursday, June 2, 2016

MOGADISHU (HOL) – The United States government has condemned a deadly attack on a hotel in the Somali capital and vowed it would standby Somalia in its fight against the Al-Qaeda linked group which claimed the responsibility for the attack which killed at least 18 people including two legislators.

A suicide car bomber detonated explosives-laden vehicle into the gates of Ambassador Hotel followed by gunmen on foot who laid stormed the hotel frequented by Somali officials on Wednesday before security forces ended the siege which lasted more than 12 hours on Thursday morning.

“This attack exemplifies the menace that al-Shabaab poses to all Somalis. The United States will continue to work closely with Somalipolitical leaders, the Somali National Army, and the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) forces to defeat al-Shabaab.” said a statement by the US mission to Somalia Thursday.

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The United States is a major partner for Somali government and deployed military advisors providing counterterrorism aid to help the horn of Africa nation in its fight against the militant group which continues guerilla attacks across large parts of Somalia.

In addition, US military also carried out numerous airstrikes that killed dozens of the group’s leaders including the group’s spiritual leader Ahmed Abdi Godane who was killed in a US drone airstrike last year in recent years.

In March, a US drone killed 150 Al Shabab fighters in central Somalia. According to the Pentagon, the air raid targeted a group of fighters who were preparing to leave a training camp and posed an “imminent threat” to American and African forces.

Somali commandos backed by US military have since carried out raids on rebel-held towns in southern Somalia, heightening pressure on the group designated as a terrorist group by the US government.

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