The government of Somalia has arrested 16 suspects in connection with the SYL hotel attack in Mogadishu.
The National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) made this known in a statement issued via X on Saturday.
The attack, which began with bombings followed by gunfire on Thursday, targeted the SYL hotel, which is frequented by high-profile government officials and business people located near the presidential palace.
Three people were killed after the attack. Security forces also killed five assailants in a gun battle, police said after announcing the situation had been brought under control.
The al-Qaeda-affiliated terror group, Al-Shabaab, claimed responsibility for the attack and said its terrorists stormed the hotel following bomb explosions and gunfire.
However, in a statement on Saturday, Information Minister Daud Aweis said the suspects arrested include mastermind Abdinasir Dahir Nur and four others linked to vehicles used in the attack.
“Following extensive investigation, security forces successfully captured the network responsible for the SYL Hotel terrorist attack,” the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) said in a statement. “Justice will be served in court for all involved.”
Somalia has faced persistent insecurity, primarily from threats posed by al-Shabaab and the Daesh/ISIS terror groups.
Since 2007, al-Shabaab has engaged in conflict with the Somali government and the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), a mission authorised by the African Union and mandated by the UN Security Council.
Attacks by al-Shabaab have intensified since President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud declared an “all-out war” on the group after being re-elected for a second term in 2022.
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