A powerful car bomb ripped through the Cairo Hotel in the central Somali city of Beledweyne on Tuesday, triggering a prolonged and deadly assault by militants. The blast and ensuing attack have resulted in several casualties, though the exact number of lives lost remains unknown at this time. The explosion marked the beginning of an hours-long gun battle between attackers and Somali security forces, who were still engaged in efforts to flush out the assailants late into the night.
Resident Muhsin Abdullahi said six people, including two well-known traditional elders, were killed. But witness Hussein Jeelle Raage said three of his family members were among at least 11 people he knew were dead. Footage shared on social media showed thick smoke rising from the hotel, with significant destruction to the building.
The Cairo Hotel, a prominent location in the city, serves as a base for traditional elders and military officers who play a vital role in coordinating government offensives against the extremist group al-Shabab. Al-Shabab, the al-Qaida-linked militant group that has waged a long-standing insurgency in Somalia, claimed responsibility for the attack. As per reports, the group has previously targeted government institutions and public spaces in a bid to destabilise the nation and challenge the authority of Somalia's federal government.
Beledweyne, about 335 km north of Mogadishu, is the capital of the Hiran region and a strategic location in the ongoing campaign against al-Shabab. Al-Shabab, which opposes Somalia's federal government, frequently carries out bombings and assaults targeting government officials and military personnel in the Horn of Africa nation.
The group controls parts of rural Somalia and poses a significant threat despite sustained military operations by government troops and African Union peacekeepers.
(With AP inputs)
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