Somalia: Jubaland arrests alleged mastermind of deadly hotel attack

KISMAYO, Somalia - Authorities in Somalia’s Jubaland’ State say they have arrested an alleged mastermind of a deadly militant attack on a hotel in the southern port city of Kismayo last month, Garowe Online reports.

Kismayo mayor, Ibrahim Mohamed Yusuf [Timo Jilic], told the VOA’s weekly investigative Dossier program that the suspect has been apprehended by the state security personnel in the city following an operation.

Yusuf added that the man has leaked classified information to security agencies during the ongoing interrogations, including that the car used for the As-asey Hotel attack was prepared inside the town, 500 kms south of Mogadishu.

The assault began on the night of 12 July 2019 when a suicide car bomb destroyed the entrance gate at the Hotel, allowing at least four gunmen to enter the property. The siege continued for fourteen hours.

At least 26 people, among them a prominent Somali Canadian social media activist, Hodan Nalayeh, and her husband, several tribal leaders, and a regional presidential aspirant were killed in the fatal attack.

The Islamist terrorist group Al-Shabab took responsibility for the attack, via a statement which said the attack targeted Jubaland ministers, federal and regional lawmakers and candidates staying at the hotel.

The hotel raid took place days prior to the August 22 Jubaland state presidential election.

The group which lost large swathes of territory in the past 7 years to Somali and AU troops regularly targets hotels in Mogadishu, often using similar methods as the July 12 attack on Kismayo hotel.

In light of the recent terrorist attack, security has since then changed in Kismayo with police put on high alert, a move aimed at preventing possible attacks depending almost entirely on intelligence.

GAROWE ONLINE