Wednesday, March 12, 2025 {HMC} Gunfire can still be heard throughout the Cairo Hotel in Beledweyne tonight, which was attacked by Al-Shabaab militants early in the morning, commencing with an explosion and followed by a gun battle.
This attack lasted for more than 13 hours and has thus far failed to oust from the hotel the Al-Shabaab fighters stationed inside.
Government forces, with support from the African Union, have continued to fight in an effort to quash the attack that has been underway in the Cairo Hotel in Beledweyne, and has thereby killed a number of individuals including security personnel, military officials, and civilians.
The heavy casualties occasioned by the attack have greatly impacted on life in Beledweyne because of the cutting off of telecommunications and electronic moneys transfers known as EVCs made earlier on this morning, because of the fact that Beledweyne does not recognize the Somali shilling.
The greatest fear that the people have that they will not be able to find somewhere to buy food, and if the communication still fails, many would risk their lives just to get something to eat.
“I can do anything on my phone, but I can’t buy anything because the communications were down. When we were buying things from this city, the Somali shillings didn’t come from here. If the communications are like this, then people will die of hunger,” said one of the residents of Beledweyne interviewed by Hiiraanweyn.
The situation in Beledweyne tonight is in very tense and there is enough fear the people can feel and the streets of the city are filled with heavily armed soldiers who have brought public transport and business to an end in Beledweyne.
