Deadly Siege at Somalia’s Hotel Elite

Somali special forces ended a siege at a hotel in Mogadishu that was stormed by armed al-Shabab fighters. The attack on the Elite Hotel in Mogadishu began Sunday afternoon after a car bomb exploded at the gates of the hotel on Lido Beach.

At least 16 people are reported to have been killed at the beachfront hotel, including 5 members of the group.

According to the BBC, witnesses said the blast could be heard across Mogadishu and that mayhem followed as people fled the area. Al Shabaab then stormed the establishment, seizing hostages. The Elite Hotel, which is owned by an MP, was built just recently, and is reported to have been popular with officials. It is one of the most heavily guarded in Mogadishu.

The hotel was sealed off by security forces, and a gun battle ensued between al Shabaab members and Somalia’s forces. The siege ended four hours later with government spokesperson Ismael Mukhtaar Omar tweeting that all the gunmen had been killed. Among the dead are also a senior interior ministry official and another from the defence ministry. Three hotel guards were also killed. l

More than 200 people were rescued from the hotel, but dozens were reported to have been wounded.

Umm Muhammed Umar

Media junkets raise outcry: Activists question integrity of South African journalism

Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za 3-minute read 20 August 2025 | 14:24 CAT As the war on Gaza rages, questions are being raised closer to home about the independence of South African journalism. Veteran activist and journalist Hassan Lorgat has lodged a formal...

Ghost Teachers, bribery and broken trust: Education posts probe launched across 22 000 schools

20 August 2025 | 12:30 CAT 2-minute read The South African education system is once again under the microscope, as allegations of widespread corruption in the hiring of teachers threaten to undermine the very foundation of fairness in public schools. The Education...

Reset The GNU!

Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za 19 August 2025 1-minute read Following Rise Mzansi’s media briefing one year after the formation of the GNU, the party says that the Government of National Unity needs an urgent reset, calling for shared obligation and...

The Media Lens

20 August 2025 | 08:05 CAT 3-minute read Pakistan Floods Islamabad — Recent cloudbursts—defined as over 100 mm of rainfall within an hour—have triggered flash floods and landslides throughout Pakistan’s mountainous north, particularly Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and parts of...

Protests mount as Netanyahu faces global isolation over Gaza war

Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za 3-minute read | 19 August 2025 | 14:45 CAT Tens of thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets in a rare nationwide shutdown, demanding the release of hostages held in Gaza and calling for an end to the war. While anger is...

The Africa Report

19 August 2025 | 13:21 CAT 2-minute read Kinshasa & Goma: Diplomatic Discord Amid Conflict DR Congo has formally rejected Kenya’s nomination of a Consul General to the eastern city of Goma, held since January by the M23 rebel group. Kinshasa denounced the move as...