Somalia’s Security Forces Neutralize Attackers at SYL Hotel, Mogadishu

Somalia’s security forces have killed all five attackers who sparked a siege on the SYL Hotel in Mogadishu, killing three soldiers and injuring 27 people. The Somali extremist group al-Shabab claimed to have penetrated the hotel, which is near the presidential palace and is patronized by government officials.

The situation has since returned to normal, and journalists were barred from accessing the hotel. The last major attack in Mogadishu was in October 2022, where at least 120 civilians were killed in twin car bombings.

Somalia’s government is conducting a high-profile offensive against the extremist group, which the United States has described as one of al-Qaida’s deadliest organizations. Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has declared “total war” against the extremists, who control large parts of central and southern Somalia and have been the target of numerous U.S. airstrikes in recent years