32 people killed by suicide bombing in Somali capital: Police

At least 32 people have been killed and scores wounded following a suicide bombing and gun attack at a popular beach in the Somali capital Mogadishu, police said.

"About 63 others were wounded, some of them critically," police spokesman Abdifatah Adan Hassan told reporters, increasing the initial death toll from seven.

The explosion occurred on Mogadishu's popular Lido beach, followed by gunfire.

Police official Ahmed Abdi told Anadolu Agency over the phone that officers from law enforcement and various security agencies rushed to the beach, which also houses several hotels.

“After the suicide bomber massacred innocent civilians who were at the beach for Friday relaxation three terrorist attackers stormed the Beach View Hotel,” he said.

He also stated that the attack took place there, and the main road leading to the blast site had been sealed.

Security forces killed three attackers inside the hotel after a firefight and two security personnel were injured, with one of them later succumbing to his injuries.

Somalia's Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire posted on X: "I send my deepest condolences to the families, relatives and friends of those who were martyred in these explosions."

"The fact that the terrorist attack coincides with this night when the beach is the most congested shows the hostility of the terrorists to the Somali people."

"Swift action by security forces neutralised the attackers, while medical teams are attending to the victims on the scene," Somali National News Agency reported.

He said 63 people, civilians among them, sustained serious injuries, according to a count from Mogadishu hospitals.

The attack site is frequented by civilians, security officials, and businesspeople.

Al-Shabab claim attack

The Al Qaeda-linked terror group Al Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack in the Horn of Africa country.

The Lido beach area — home to upmarket hotels and eateries — is popular with business people and government officials and has been the scene of previous attacks.

Al Shabab group has carried out numerous bombings and attacks in Mogadishu and other parts of the country.

Somalia has been plagued by insecurity for years, with the main threats emanating from al-Shabaab and the Daesh terror groups.

Since 2007, al-Shabaab has been fighting the Somali government and the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia – a multidimensional mission authorised by the African Union and mandated by the United Nations Security Council.

The terror group has stepped up attacks since Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud declared an "all-out war" on the group.