Somali security forces have successfully neutralized six militants who had launched an attack on a hotel in Beledweyne, a town in central Somalia. The siege, which lasted for 18 hours, ended early on Wednesday March 12 morning, with Somali and African Union forces rescuing civilians, traditional elders, and military officials trapped inside.
Beledweyne District Commissioner, Omar Osman Alasow, confirmed the end of the attack, revealing that two militants were killed in combat, while four others detonated explosives as they realised escape was impossible. Tragically, the attack also claimed the lives of seven individuals, including security officials and prominent elders.
The hotel assault, claimed by the al-Shabab militant group, marked another violent chapter in the ongoing conflict in Somalia. Beledweyne has been a focal point of Somali efforts to combat al-Shabab since President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud declared a “total war” against the group in 2022. The town, which lies near the Ethiopian border in Hirshabelle state, has witnessed a series of terrorist attacks over the years, with suicide bombings and targeted assaults on government establishments being frequent occurrences.
In the aftermath of the siege, Somali forces, backed by international partners, launched airstrikes that resulted in the deaths of at least 50 al-Shabab militants in the Middle Shabelle region. The airstrikes, which targeted the Damasha and Shabeelow areas, also eliminated Mansoor Tima-Weeyne, a senior al-Shabab leader responsible for coordinating the group’s combat vehicles. The Somali National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) hailed the operation as a significant blow to al-Shabab’s operational capabilities. In a separate counterterrorism effort, NISA also announced the closure of 12 media outlets and websites linked to the group, as part of an ongoing campaign to disrupt al-Shabab’s influence and propaganda in the region.