2014 Hotel Amalo attack

On 18 March 2014, a car loaded with explosives detonated outside the Hotel Amalo in Buloburde, Somalia, which was used by African Union and Somali troops who had captured the town from Al-Shabaab a week earlier. Gunfire was reported to have followed for five hours, the car bombing having occurred around 02:00 local time (23:00 UTC).[1][2] At least 27 people were killed in the attack.[3]

2014 Hotel Amalo attack
Part of Somali Civil War (2009–present)
LocationBuloburde, Somalia
Date18 March 2014
Attack type
Suicide car bombing, shooting
Deaths27+

Overview

The town of Buloburde had been controlled by Al-Shabaab for five years, until being captured by African Union and Somali forces around a week prior to the attack.[1] After the car bombing at the hotel, the town was stormed by Al-Shabaab-fighters, attacking high-ranking mainly Djiboutian and Somali officers.[2] Initial claims by Al-Shabaab said that over thirty soldiers had been killed and more than eighty injured, while Somali officials reported six to twelve to have been killed and twenty injured.[1][2] Four Al-Shabaab militants were reportedly among the dead.[4] According to a later report citing the Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) in September 2015, at least 27 people were killed in the attack.[3]

The suicide bomber was identified as 60-year-old Burhan Ahmed Abdule, who had lived in Halden, Norway since 2005 as a respected family man and immigrant role model, as well as Labour Party-supporter who was once photographed as part of an immigrant delegation who met Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg in the Norwegian parliament.[5][6][7][8] In September 2014 the Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) concluded that Abdule took part in the attack, making him the first known suicide bomber with ties to Norway (he has later been followed by others).[3][5] In a pre-attack interview published by Al-Shabaab, Abdule states to have been a member of the Al-Qaida-affiliated Al-Itihaad al-Islamiya (AIAI) group for thirteen years prior to joining its successor Al-Shabaab.[5]

See also

References
  1. "Somalia's al-Shabab attacks army hotel in Bulo-burde". BBC News. 18 March 2014.
  2. "Al-Shabaab's Deadly night raid in Bula-burde leaves dozens dead". Harar24. 18 March 2014.
  3. Torset, Nina Selbo (3 September 2015). "PST har ventet på FBI. Nå er konklusjonen i Westgate-saken klar". Aftenposten (in Norwegian).
  4. Geidi, Nour (18 March 2014). "Somalia hotel bombing death toll rises to 11". TurkishPress.
  5. "Her er Norges første selvmordsbomber" (in Norwegian). NRK. 25 September 2014.
  6. "Norsk-somalisk selvmordsbomber møtte Stoltenberg". Dagen/NTB (in Norwegian). 25 September 2014.
  7. "Halden was home to suicide bomber". Views and News from Norway. 25 September 2014.
  8. "Al-Shabaab praises 60-year old Norwegian fighter who stormed AMISOM base in Bulo-burde". Harar24. 19 March 2014.

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