MOGADISHU, Somalia, July 29 (UPI) -- The suicide bombing of a landmark Mogadishu, Somalia, hotel this week, in which at least 13 died, was caused by a German citizen of Somali origin, a senior Somali intelligence officer said Wednesday.
"Investigations are still continuing and it is too early to give full update, but what I can confirm is that the male bomber was a German citizen of Somali origin who just came back (to Somalia) recently," he said, adding the suspect had recently lived in Bonn, Germany.
The six-story Jazeera Palace Hotel in Mogadishu is the location of the diplomatic missions of China and the United Arab Emirates, and a popular hotel of foreign government officials. It was struck earlier this week by a bomb-laden vehicle. Damage was extensive, and the Chinese government reported one of its embassy staff members was killed and three others injured.
The Somalia-based militant group al-Shabab took responsibility for the incident, calling it "retaliation for the killing of dozens of innocent civilians" allegedly killed during attacks in southern Somalia by Ethiopian military forces.
Related
Somali President Hassan Shiekh Mohamud strongly condemned the bombing Tuesday, saying in a statement, "This was an attack on a symbol. The Jazeera Hotel was a place where the international community met their counterparts in Somali politics, business and civil society, but I have a message for the terrorists: the Jazeera Palace will be rebuilt and it will soon be back in business. That is how we respond to callous attacks such as this, attacks that, as is so often the case, harm only innocent Somali citizens and our international colleagues who are here to help."
