Shabab Kill 31 and Take Hostages in Somalia’s Capital<br />By HUSSEIN MOHAMED and KIMIKO de FREYTAS-TAMURAJUNE 14, 2017<br />MOGADISHU, Somalia — Militants began an assault in the capital, Mogadishu, on Wednesday evening with a car bombing<br />at the gates of a hotel popular with foreigners, and continued with gunfire at a nearby restaurant.<br />The strike, which the military said had targeted the command<br />and logistics portion of a Shabab camp, came two and a half months after Mr. Trump cleared the way for offensive strikes in Somalia, a chaotic nation in the Horn of Africa, without a specific self-defense rationale.<br />The attack occurred less than a week after militants from the Shabab extremist group killed dozens of people — both soldiers<br />and civilians, including children — when they stormed a military base in northeastern Somalia.<br />Last Sunday, the United States military carried out a drone strike in southern Somalia against the Shabab, the first since President<br />Trump relaxed some rules for preventing civilian casualties when the Pentagon carries out counterterrorism strikes.<br />"I personally counted the dead bodies of six people, including a young woman." It was not known how many people were being held captive early Thursday,<br />but the Shabab, who have links to Al Qaeda, are known for killing hostages, not holding them for ransom.<br />Although the group has suffered defeats, including the deaths of leaders<br />and the loss of territory, the Shabab’s ability to inflict harm remains undiminished.
