Violent extremists have carried out bombings in the Somali capital of Mogadishu on various occasions. Shown here is the aftermath of a car bomb attack on the city’s Banadir Beach hotel on 25 August 2016. Photo: UN Somalia (file)

The Secretary-General’s Special Representative in Somalia, Michael Keating, “strongly condemned” the truck bomb attack on the SYL Hotel in the capital, according to a statement issued yesterday by the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM).

In the statement, UNSOM stated that at the time of the blast several senior government officials and members of the country’s federal parliament were attending a meeting inside the hotel, which is located near the presidential palace and the federal parliament building, but none were among the fatalities.

The militant group Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility. UNSOM highlighted that greater loss of life was averted as security guards halted the explosives-laden vehicle as it was approaching one of the gates.

“Violent extremists have once again bombed a hotel in the Somali capital,” said Mr. Keating in the statement, noting that the bombing marked the third such attack on the SYL Hotel since the beginning of 2015.

“On each previous occasion, its management and staff have repaired the damage and reopened its doors for business in short order,” he added. “The SYL Hotel provides powerful evidence of the extraordinary resilience of the Somali people, who refuse to be cowed by al-Shabaab’s campaign of terror.”

Mr. Keating also expressed condolences to the families of the victims and wished the injured a full and speedy recovery.