Mogadishu [Somalia], August 18: At least 11 people were killed in a terrorist attack on a restaurant in the Somali capital Mogadishu, the local police said on Saturday.
The terrorist group al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack.
The terrorist group said on its Telegram channel that it carried out the suicide attack in the southern province of Abyan that targeted military forces backed by the United Arab Emirates.
According to the police, a remotely detonated bomb exploded in the establishment. Most of the dead are civilians, while four people were injured but survived, they said.
Yemeni military sources previously said that at least nine people were killed in the attack and 13 were wounded.
The restaurant is also popular with security forces, they said.
The UAE is the second-largest coalition partner along with Saudi Arabia, who are providing military support to Yemeni pro-government militias.
The United Nations recently issued security warnings to UN personnel, cautioning them about imminent terrorist attacks in Somalia. UN staff are therefore advised to avoid public gathering places and government offices.
Just two weeks ago, al-Shabaab fighters attacked a hotel on Lido Beach in Mogadishu and opened fire on beachgoers. More than 30 people lost their lives in the incident.
The militia controls areas in parts of Somalia, but in recent years it has been pushed back from the capital. Nevertheless, there are repeated attacks in Mogadishu on government facilities and on hotels or restaurants, where the Islamists condemn the Western lifestyle that prevails as un-Islamic.
A Saudi-led military coalition was launched in March 2015, months after Houthi rebels took over Yemen's capital Sana'a and other areas, driving the Yemeni government to flee towards the southern city of Aden.
Yemen has since been locked in a devastating conflict between the Saudi-backed government and Iran-aligned rebels.
Source: Qatar Tribune
