A devastating explosion ripped through a popular beach restaurant in Mogadishu, Somalia, on Friday evening, claiming the lives of at least 32 civilians and injuring 63 others.
Police spokesperson Abdifatah Aden confirmed the casualty figures, stating that one of the attackers had blown himself up, while three others were killed by security forces. Another attacker was captured alive, and a soldier was also killed during the assault.
Survivors described the horrific scene, with one witness recounting how a peaceful evening was shattered by a "huge blast" that left people covered in smoke and injured. Video footage shared on social media showed bodies lying on the beach and people fleeing in fear.
Al-Shabaab, affiliated with al-Qaeda, a terrorist group outlawed in Russia and many other countries, has been responsible for numerous attacks in Somalia, including the deadly car bomb attack in 2022.
While the group has not yet claimed responsibility for this latest incident, their history of targeting civilians makes them the prime suspect.
"The fact that the terrorist attack coincides with this night when the beach is the most congested shows the hostility of the terrorists to the Somali people," former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire posted on social media, denouncing the attack.