Car Bomb Explosion Kills Civilians in Mogadishu
Posted by Kaitlin Kindbergh on Thu, Feb 09, 2012 @ 03:14 PM
Overview
A suicide car bomb exploded just outside of the Muna Hotel in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu on Wednesday, February 8th. The explosives-filled vehicle detonated at a café in close proximity to the hotel, which is frequented by members of parliament and government security officers. The hotel was the target of a small arms terrorist attack in August of 2010, during which more than 30 people were killed. Somalia’s militant group, al Shabaab, claimed responsibility for the latest attack via Twitter with the following statement: “We were behind the explosion at the Muna Hotel. We targeted legislators and government officials.” There are currently conflicting reports regarding the number of deaths, with most placing the number at either 11 or 15. Reuters quoted a Somali police spokesman who said he had confirmed 11 civilians were killed. A statement released by the Somali government says that two members of Parliament were slightly injured in the attack.
Further details of the incident are as follows:
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Police say attackers first opened fire on café customers before detonating the car bomb.
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According to reports, attackers rammed the car into the café before the explosion.
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The attack took place on the same day as a visit to Mogadishu by the European Union’s new special envoy to the Horn of Africa. The UK government is hosting a conference on February 23rd to try to find a political solution to the instability in Somalia and the piracy that occurs off Somalia’s shores.
Implications
In this incident, the attackers used small arms in conjunction with a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device. It is our overall assessment that a combination of tactics has proven very effective and is likely to continue as a frequent means of attack used by terrorist operatives going forward. Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government (TFG) along with African Union forces have been making strides in their ongoing conflict with al Shabaab in recent months after successfully pushing the militia out of Mogadishu in August last year. Kenyan forces have recently become more involved as well, following a series of kidnappings in Kenyan territory which they’ve blamed on al Shabaab. Just last week, the town of Badhadhe was captured from the militants by Kenyan troops, cutting off the group’s main supply line from the sea. Even so, al Shabaab still controls parts of southern and central Somalia. Since their retreat from the capital city, al Shabaab has continued to stage frequent attacks against the TFG, typically with grenades, suicide bombers and roadside bombs. This latest incident highlights how al Shabaab is still capable of successfully preparing for and conducting this scale of attack in Mogadishu. Furthermore, al Shabaab remains one of the top US homeland security concerns, as cited in a recent intelligence report delivered to Congress. Just today, al Qaeda’s leader Ayman al-Zawahiri announced that al Shabaab has officially joined the terrorist network after two years of allegiance. This is a significant development that we will continue to follow.
