“Make ready for them all that you can of force and of warhorses, so that by them you may strike terror in the enemy of Allah and your enemy…” (Qur’an 8:60)
“More than 30 killed in Somalia beach attack claimed by Al-Shabaab,” AFP, August 3, 2024:
An Al-Shabaab suicide bomber and gunmen attacked a busy beach in the Somali capital Mogadishu killing 37 people and wounding scores more, officials said on Saturday, in one of the deadliest strikes in the East African country in months.
The Al-Qaeda-linked jihadists have been waging an insurgency against the internationally backed federal government for more than 17 years and have previously targeted the Lido beach area, popular with business people and government members.
Survivors of Friday’s assault described how following the blast gunmen stormed onto the beach intending to “kill everyone they could”, with graphic video shared online immediately after showing bloodied bodies on the sand.
“The overall number of the dead people we confirmed is 37,” Somali Health Minister Ali Haji Adam said in a press statement late Saturday.
Eleven people are in intensive care units, a further 64 people remain in hospital with wounds, while 137 people with light injuries had been discharged after receiving treatment, he said.
The assault, for which Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility in a post on a pro-Shabaab website, began late on Friday when a suicide bomber detonated a device and gunmen stormed the area.
Officer Mohamed Omar told AFP that members of the group had “shot civilians randomly”.
He said security forces had ended the attack and killed five gunmen, while a sixth member of the group “blew himself (up) at the beach”.
Police spokesperson Abdifatah Adan Hassan said the attack demonstrated the group was not only targeting government officials and soldiers, but ordinary civilians as well.
Witnesses said there were many people at the popular location when the explosion occurred, describing how gunmen then stormed the area.
‘Killed everyone they could’
“As we were enjoying our time on the beach, a suicide bomber blew himself up among crowds of people on the beach,” Omar Elmi told AFP.“Then we could see many people scattered on the ground, including dead, injured, as well as shocked people,” he said.
Another survivor, Harun Issa Wehliye, said one of his best friends had been killed in the explosion.
“After that, four armed men arrived and started shooting. They killed everyone they could,” he told AFP….
somehistory says
The msn actually had this news story online most of yesterday. The “random” was probably because they didn’t have time to go to each person and ask them to quote their book of demon filth. And they don’t care if the victims are mozlum, as long as they can cause fear, pain, and grief.
abu taleb says
Muslims kill other muslims, that is very Islamic, starting from the beginning of Islam because Islam is all about power and wealth.
Anonymous says
Robert, can you imagine his shock when the bomber receives his reward of 72 raisins?
simba says
this is a major event. crazy times getting crazier.
OLD GUY says
All in the name of islam. How can anybody stand up and say that Islam is a religion, yet alone one of love and peace. Our political and religious leaders are LYING to us when they say islam is a religion of love and peace. Islam is truly a cult religion of brutality. And the Islamic countries are using it to gain power .
gravenimage says
Somalia: Jihad suicide bomber and other jihadis attack people on busy beach, murdering 37
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This is what a 100% Muslim nation looks like–this and Yemen and Afghanistan…