Somali gov't, people condemn hotel terror attack

Somali government and the Mogadishu residents united on Tuesday in expressing their indignation over the killing of 15 people, including a Chinese embassy staff, in the Sunday terror attack on Jazeera Hotel in the capital.

Somali government spokesman, Abdisalam Ahmed Aato, told Xinhua that the government regretted terrorist attack at the hotel which houses foreign embassies and the subsequent injuries to three Chinese.

"At first, we send our condolences to the government and people of China, and pledged to punish criminals, and bring them to the justice," he said in Mogadishu.

Aato said that Al-Shabaab wants to send a message that Somalia is not safe, noting that the government will enhance its campaign for elimination of the militants who claimed responsibility for the attack.

"As you know there are military operations in southern Somalia, and the militants were expelled from the strategic areas, because of that they started killing innocent people," he added.

The government official said that the attack on the hotel, which houses embassies from China, Egypt, Kenya and Qatari, would not affect relations between the two countries.

"The relationship between the two countries is very strong and cannot be affected by such barbaric action, and thank the Chinese government for its aid to Somalia," he assured.

Some residents in Mogadishu expressed their sorrow about the attack at the hotel.

Feisal Ali, a college student in Mogadishu said that he felt sad, saying what happened was inhuman.

"Everybody with intelligence can see these killers' inhumanity to the lives of civilians. They respect no one whether they are children, women, old people or foreign guests. What they did was against Islamic principles," Ali told Xinhua.

Abdullahi Yare, another university student, said he was shocked when he heard that Chinese were affected by the incident, adding that Al-Shabaab don't want Somalia to become a developed nation.

"Really it was an accident that makes you feel bitter; the Chinese government helped us a lot, not only the government of Somalia, but the poor and orphans in Somalia, and this shows that Al-Shabaab is denigrating Islam and does not want our country to become a safe country," Yare said.

The attack has been described as one of the worst scenes of destruction seen in Mogadishu.

Mohamed Dahir, a senior Somali police officer, told Xinhua that it was barbaric act that has not been witnessed in Mogadishu in the past.

"That attack was a crime against humanity. Those who killed the innocent civilians, including fellow citizens and foreign friends who come to our aid, were murderers. They are forces who want to degrade the name of Somalia," he said. Endit