Source: www.persecution.org
Date: October 24, 2022
Al-Shabaab Kills Nine People in Another Hotel Attack
Somalia (International Christian Concern) – On Sunday, October 23, militants attacked a hotel in Kismayo, a city in southern Somalia. The attackers, who were later identified as members of Al-Shabaab, an Islamic extremist group, set off a car bomb near the hotel and then stormed the property.
The assault began at 12:45pm, when the car laden with explosives rammed into the hotel entrance. The siege lasted until 7:00pm, when the attackers were stopped by security forces. There were four total attackers, including one suicide bomber who detonated an explosive vest. The remaining three attackers were killed by police.
Nine civilians were killed and forty-seven people were wounded in the attack. The casualties included students leaving a nearby school.
The attack was eerily similar to another hotel attack staged by Al-Shabaab on August 19. The terror group besieged a hotel in Mogadishu for over 30 hours. Twenty-one people were killed and over 117 were wounded in the August attack.
Al-Shabaab poses a considerable threat to Christians in both Somalia and surrounding countries, especially Kenya. Christian communities in Kenya, which shares a border with Somalia, are frequently targeted when Al-Shabaab militants make excursions into Kenyan territory.
HOW TO PRAY: Pray for an end to al-Shabaab violence in this region. Pray for peace for the families that were affected. Pray for swift healing for those who were wounded. Please pray for the Christian communities suffering from attacks in Kenya.