Asasey Hotel attack
On 12 July 2019, four al-Shabaab gunmen attacked the Asasey Hotel in Kismayo, Jubaland, Somalia, after the other attacker breached the gate with a car bomb.
| Asasey Hotel attack | |
|---|---|
| Location | Asasey Hotel, Kismayo, Jubaland, Somalia |
| Date | 12 July 2019 (UTC+03:00) |
Attack type | Suicide car bombing, shooting |
| Weapons | Car bomb, guns |
| Deaths | 26[1] |
| Injured | 56[1] |
| Perpetrator | Five al-Shabaab members |
Incident
The attack began on the night of 12 July 2019 when a suicide car bomb destroyed the entrance gate at the Asasey Hotel, allowing at least four gunmen to enter the building. The siege continued for fourteen hours.[2]
At first four al-Shabab assailants attacked the hotel who were all shot dead by responding police and military.[3]
Victims
A prominent Somali Canadian social media activist, Hodan Nalayeh, and her husband were killed after deciding to take a vacation in Somalia, as was a Somali Broadcasting Corporation photographer, Mohamed Salal Omar, who was there photographing carpets, and tried to capture his killers on camera; Mohamed Ga'anadhere, a journalist for SBC TV; Presidential candidate for upcoming Jubaland elections Mohamed Ismaael; Abdifatah Mohamed from Somalia office of the United Nations International Organization for Migration; philanthropist Mahad Nur Gurguurte; SADO Somalia executive director Abdullahi Isse Abdulle; and Lawmaker and Minister President of Jubaland Mohamed Ismail Shuriye.[4]
Several tribal leaders, a regional presidential candidate, a member of parliament and his wife, three Kenyans, three Tanzanians, two Americans and a Briton[5] are among the dead. Three gunmen were shot to death by security guards.[1]
Perpetrators
The Islamist terrorist group al-Shabaab took responsibility for the attack, via a statement which said the attack targeted Jubaland ministers, federal and regional lawmakers and candidates staying at the hotel.[1] The group frequently targets hotels in Mogadishu, often using similar methods as the July 2019 attack.[2]
Reactions
The United Nations and multiple countries condemned the attacks, many issuing statements; a United States State Department spokesperson stating, "We send our sincere condolences to the friends and families of the victims killed in the attacks in Kismayo and wish the injured a speedy recovery."[6]
The Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission for Somalia, claimed that the attacks were due to the "great strides" the country was making in "taking back territory from the terrorist group" and the attacks were "meant to undermine that process."[6]
References
- Nor, Omar. "Somalia hotel attack death toll rises to 26". CNN. Retrieved 13 July 2019.
- "Prominent journalist and an unnamed American among 26 dead in Somalia hotel attack". ABC News. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
- "2 Americans Among 26 Killed In Somalia Hotel Siege". HuffPost. 1 July 2019. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
- Spearle Cole, Rebecca (13 July 2019). "Briton among 26 People killed in Jotel Terror Attack in Somalia". Evening Standard. Retrieved 13 July 2019.
- Mohamed, Hussein; Hartocollis, Anemona (1 July 2019). "At Least 26 Dead in Somalia Hotel Attack Claimed by Shabab". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
- Williams, Abigail; McCausland, Phil (13 July 2019). "At least one American among the 27 dead in terrorist attack on hotel in Somalia". NBC News. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
