Eight people were killed and 28 others wounded in an attack on a popular beach in the Somali capital Mogadishu late Friday night.
Former Somali Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire said an explosion occurred on a popular beach in the Somali capital late Friday.
Khaire said on his X account that the explosion occurred while beachgoers at Lido Beach were swimming, resulting in deaths and injuries. He did not provide further details about the dead and injured or who was responsible for the explosion.
"I send my sincere condolences to the families, relatives and friends of those who were martyred in these explosions," he added, according to Reuters.
"The fact that the terrorist attack coincided with this night when the beach is most crowded shows the hostility of the terrorists towards the Somali people," he continued.
Videos posted on X showed bodies lying on the beach in the dark, as people tried to flee to safety.
Somali National Television said in a statement that Somali security forces had eliminated the attackers and that paramedics were working to treat the wounded.
Al-Shabaab, which is linked to Al-Qaeda, has previously claimed responsibility for similar attacks.
Militants neutralized
Somali media reported earlier that security forces had "neutralized" militants who attacked beachgoers at a popular beach in Mogadishu, but there was no immediate information on the extent of the casualties.
The Somali National News Agency reported that "civilians on Lido Beach in the Abdiaziz area of Mogadishu were attacked on Friday evening."
It added that "a quick response by security forces neutralized the attackers, while medical teams are treating the victims at the scene."
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