On Saturday, police in Somalia reported that an attack on a beach hotel in Mogadishu the previous evening resulted in 32 deaths and 63 injuries. The assault was claimed by al-Shabab, the East African affiliate of al-Qaida, via their radio station.

According to police spokesperson Maj. Abdifatah Adan Hassan, the casualties included one soldier who was killed and another who was injured, while the remaining victims were civilians. Eyewitnesses described an explosion followed by gunfire at Lido Beach, a lively area in Mogadishu popular on Friday nights as locals gather to enjoy the weekend.

Mohamud Moalim, one witness, told The Associated Press that he observed an attacker wearing an explosive vest shortly before the individual detonated the device near the beach-view hotel. Moalim mentioned that some of his friends were among the deceased and wounded. Another witness, Abdisalam Adam, recounted seeing numerous people on the ground and assisting in transporting some of the injured to the hospital.

This attack is not the first on the Lido Beach area; militants linked to al-Shabab have targeted it in the past, with a similar attack last year that claimed nine lives. On the same day as the beach hotel attack, state media reported that seven people died when a passenger vehicle struck a roadside bomb approximately 40 kilometers (25 miles) from Mogadishu.

In response to ongoing threats, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud declared a “total war” on the militants last year as the country began to take greater control of its security. Al-Shabab continues to hold sway over parts of southern and central Somalia, conducting attacks in Mogadishu and other regions while extracting significant sums from residents and businesses to further their goal of establishing an Islamic state.

This recent attack occurred a month after Somalia initiated the third phase of withdrawing peacekeeping troops under the African Union Transition Mission. On Saturday, James Swan, the U.N. Secretary-General’s Acting Special Representative for Somalia, expressed solidarity with Somalia, supporting its efforts to achieve peace, security, and stability. Swan condemned the attack, emphasizing that Lido Beach is a popular spot for families, and called the targeting of such a location an "abhorrent act" deserving of the strongest condemnation.