MOGADISHU, Somalia – A Turkish military plane airlifted 19 victims of the SYL hotel attack by Al-Shabaab for medical treatment, the health ministry announced on Sunday.
The injured were flown from Mogadishu’s Aden Abdulle International Airport to Turkey aboard a military aircraft. President Hassan Sheikh said goodbye to the wounded victims.
Five armed Al-Shabaab gunmen attacked the SYL Hotel in the capital Mogadishu on Thursday night and fought inside for nearly 13 hours against the security forces.
All the militants were shot and killed by Somali police. As many as 47 others were injured, including three MPs and a government spokesman, including some in critical conditions.
Since the famine in 2011, Turkey has been a donor to Somalia and is funding several infrastructure and medical projects in the country.
The Turkish military even has a base in Mogadishu, which was established in 2017.
Both countries have had a good relationship over almost the entire last decade.
