At least 26 people have been killed and over 50 others injured after members of an Islamic rebel group, Al Shabab, attacked the Asasey Hotel in the southern city of Kismayo in Somalia on Friday night [local time].
Three Kenyans, three Tanzanians, two Americans, a Briton and Canadian-Somali journalist, Hodan Nalayeh were among those killed.
The hotel and its occupants were under siege for 14 hours, after at least four armed al-Shabab militants detonated a suicide car bomb at the hotel’s entrance gate, before storming the hotel. Somalian troops were deployed and, according to official reports, some of the attackers were shot and killed during the long battle.
DFAT’s Smartraveller.gov.au advice on travel to Somalia was reviewed on 14 July 2019 and remains unchanged.
We’ve reviewed our travel advice for Somalia. The security situation in Somalia is highly volatile and there is an ongoing very high threat of terrorist attack. There have been a large number of significant attacks in 2018. Terrorist attacks are expected to continue. If you are in Somalia, we strongly urge you to leave if it is safe to do so. We haven’t changed our level of advice – ‘do not travel’ to Somalia.
