MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Al-Shabaab militants who attacked Cairo Hotel in central Somalia’s Baladweyne town on Tuesday escaped overnight after receiving reinforcements, with security forces allegedly failing to intervene, former speaker of Hirshabelle regional parliament Osman Barre Mohamed said on Wednesday.
The militants, who had barricaded themselves inside the hotel compound for 17 hours, left peacefully after a convoy of reinforcements arrived in two military vehicles to extract them, including two injured assailants.
Security forces, including members of the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), reportedly withdrew as the militants escaped, raising suspicions of collusion.
Mohamed, in an interview with Universal Somali TV, accused local security officials of aiding the militants’ escape and called for an investigation. “No one stood against them,” he said, describing how the reinforcements opened fire near the hotel complex and a nearby bridge around 11:00 PM local time before leaving unimpeded.
The attack, which killed three traditional leaders and military officers, targeted individuals mobilizing an offensive against Al-Shabaab in the west of Hiran region. A Somali military official confirmed the militants also seized weapons stored in the hotel, intended for clan militias joining the planned operation.
Neither Al-Shabaab nor the Somali federal government has commented on the incident, leaving key questions unanswered about the security lapse. The allegations of collusion have sparked outrage, with demands for accountability and a thorough probe into the circumstances surrounding the militants’ escape.
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