Armed terrorists, hostage situation: Know the similarities between 26/11 Mumbai and Somalia Hayat Hotel terror attacks

On Friday, the al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab group attacked a hotel in the Somali city of Mogadishu and took control of the building, sparking an intensive battle between security forces and gunmen from the armed group that has claimed the lives of 12 people so far.

"The security forces continued to neutralise terrorists who had been cordoned off within a hotel room; most of the people were freed, but at least 12 civilians have been confirmed dead so far," said the security commander of the hotel, Mohamed Abdikadir.

The attack on Mogadishu's Hayat Hotel appears to be similar to the events in Mumbai on November 26, 2008, when heavily armed terrorists entered Mumbai through sea route and caused widespread destruction.

Here are some similarities between the current situation in Mogadishu and the then situation in Mumbai 

In both cases, suicide bombers were responsible for the attack, implying that they came not only to endanger other people's lives and property, but also to sacrifice their own.

In both areas, the focus has been on luxury seven-star hotels. During the 26/11 attack in Mumbai, the Taj Hotel and Oberoi Hotel at Nariman Point were among the primary targets and in Somalia it was the Hayat Hotel which is described as a popular location for employees of the federal government to meet.

Both sites have seen the usage of explosives. The hotel structure in Mogadishu was attacked following two vehicle bomb explosions and gunfire. Several bomb blasts have also occurred in Mumbai during the 26/11 attack.

The Mumbai attack and hostage scenario could be brought under control by security forces after several hours, as happened earlier today in Mogadishu.

Terrorists had targeted top police personnel in both attacks. Hemant Karkare, the then-chief of the Anti-Terrorism Squad, was martyred during the 26/11 attack.

One of the most notable aspects of both attacks was that they were well-planned conspiracies by terrorists who worked out the minute details of the target before carrying out their objective.

About Al-Shabab terror group

Al-Shabab is an Al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group. For more than a decade, Al-Shabab has been battling to destabilise the Somali government. According to Al Jazeera, it wishes to establish its own authority based on a rigid interpretation of Islamic law.

Al-Shabab has previously claimed responsibility for similar attacks. In August 2020, it claimed responsibility for a strike on another hotel in Mogadishu that killed at least 16 people. An African Union force drove al-Shabab fighters out of the city in 2011, but the armed organisation still controls wide areas of land.

Al-Shabab terrorists killed by the US

Earlier this week, the US reported that it had killed 13 Al-Shabab members in an air raid in the country's central-southern region as the organisation was battling Somali forces. In recent weeks, the US has conducted repeated air attacks on the fighters. The incident on Friday was the first serious attack since President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud took office in May.