Somali Forces Warned Against More Terror Attacks on Hotels

A few days after the end of the deadly attack on the Maka Al Mukarama Hotel in Somalia in which close to 30 people were killed and scores injured, the militants have once again threatened to stage more hotel attacks in Somalia.

The Al-Shabab militia group which was responsible for the deadly siege at Maka Al Mukarama has confirmed that Somalia should expect more similar attacks. This came as a warning to hotel owners who rent the premises to government officials.

Somalia has had a share of its war crisis since the militia group began controlling part of its towns. It was not until the Kenya Defence Forces intervened, being backed by the United Nation that Somalia began to gain its stability.

In as much as Sheikh Ali Mohamed Hussein, the Al-Shabab official who was in charge of the group’s insurgency in Mogadishu says they plan more attacks on hotels in Somalia, intelligence experts have warned Somalia forces to beef up security all over the country, giving more concentration on major towns.

The warning could be a true alert, but at the same time, this could be the group’s propaganda to instill fear on the government, says an intelligence expert.

The militants which have affirmed that they are committed to stage more of such attacks have also indicated that in their fights in Somalia, their main targets include government officials and possibly persons in the African Union forces in the horn of Africa nation.

Security analysts working with intelligence experts have therefore pointed out that more needs to be done to ensure that the number of the militant does not increase. This can only be achieved by ensuring that the borders are well guarded so no infiltration takes place.

Somali intelligence forces which analysts say are in better shape for now have successfully foiled several attacks, however despite the small progress security threats from Al-Shabab remain.

The alert comes at a time when forces have confirmed the arrest of Al-Shabaa Sheikh Said Swaleh Awadh who was arrested on Monday 30^th in Kenya after he tried to cross into Somalia.