MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre on Sunday night hinted at possible shakeup of security agencies and said the government would take responsibility for failure to prevent a deadly Al-Shabaab siege at Hayat Hotel in Mogadishu.
In rare comments, the Premier said those who have failed in their responsibilities will not be allowed to continue holding top positions within the security institutions and will be held accountable.
On Sunday, security forces ended a more than 30-hour siege at an upscale hotel in Mogadishu, which was popular with government officials, that saw the death of more than 21 people. A police official told Reuters news agency that militants killed at least 10 security personnel with grenades and firearms during the siege. read more
Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was a response for Somali President’s declaration of war to eliminate the insurgent group that has been fighting for more than 15 years to topple the Western-backed government in Mogadishu. A spokesman for the group put the death toll at 63.
On Monday, dead bodies and human remains were being recovered from the rubble left behind the hotel compound which was partially destroyed by security forces using heavy weaponry to end the 30-hour-long siege.
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