Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed strong condemnation of a suicide bombing that targeted a hotel in the city of Jowhar, southern Somalia, causing multiple deaths and injuries.
“The ministry expressed the State of Qatar’s condolences to the families of the victims, and the government and people of Somalia, wishing the injured a speedy recovery,” the twitter statement read.
The attack killed at least two people and more than 15 others were wounded, a government official confirmed on Sunday.
The statement strongly reiterates Qatar’s firm stance against violence and terrorism, regardless of the motivations and reasons.
The blast targeted a popular hotel named Nur-doob which is oftentimes visited by state lawmakers, ministers, and other officials. Senior regional administration officials were among those injured, including the state health minister, VOA reported.
Militant group Al-Shabab has claimed responsibility for the attack.
The attack also damaged nearby businesses and buildings, and many people lost their fortunes.
The city of Jowhar is the provincial capital of Somalia’s Middle Shabelle region, located 90 kilometers north of the capital, Mogadishu.
This attack comes after a deadly 2 May Al-Shabab assault on an African Union base in southern Somalia, which killed at least 30 Burundian soldiers and injured 20 others.
Al-Shabab frequently conducts attacks and bombings in Mogadishu and elsewhere as part of its continued war against the Horn of Africa country’s central government.