Somalia: At Least 14 Killed in Al-Shabab Hotel Siege

Facts

• At least 14 people were reportedly killed and dozens more injured after al-Shabaab extremists armed with explosives and guns laid siege to a hotel popular with government officials in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu. Somali forces ended the siege after a more than 20-hour battle.
• The attack began when Al-Shabaab fighters stormed the Villa Rose hotel in the Somali capital on Sunday. While fighting between CIA- and Turkish-trained Somali troops and the militants continued on Monday, security forces reportedly rescued dozens of civilians and officials, including the fisheries minister.
• Meanwhile, the al-Qaeda-affiliated extremist group claimed responsibility for the hotel siege in the previously considered secure central Mogadishu district near the presidential palace. The African Union Transitional Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) condemned the attack and welcomed the "swift response" by Somali security forces.
• The latest terrorist attack comes after Somalia's Ministry of Information claimed Saturday that more than 100 al-Shabab fighters were killed following an operation by the Somali National Army, its international partners, and allied clan militias.
• Somali troops, augmented by clan militias and occasionally African Union troops and US strikes, have made advances in the fight against Al-Shabab in recent months.
• In August, at least 21 people were killed and 117 wounded in a 30-hour Al Shabaab siege of the Hayat Hotel in Mogadishu. This was followed by Al Shabab's deadliest attack in five years on Oct. 29, when twin bombings outside the Ministry of Education killed at least 100 people and injured more than 300.

Sources: BBC News, New York Times, Citizen, Voa, Arab, and France24.

Narratives

• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by The Conversation. The recent string of devastating Al-Shabaab attacks proves that the new government's military approach to defeat Al-Shabaab with the help of Western allies, African Union troops, and local militias don't promise success. Moreover, the weak federal government lacks public legitimacy. What is needed now are direct talks between Mogadishu and Al-Shabaab and political power sharing to consolidate the government's authority.
• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Bloomberg. The latest terrorist attacks are indeed a setback for the Mohamud government and its allied clan militias. But that doesn't diminish the fact that the offensive against the Islamists has recently yielded a number of successes, with Al-Shabaab being driven out of key regions of Somalia with US military support. Even if victory isn't yet within reach, and further military and political efforts are necessary, the government is on the right track.