Witness video captures the sights and sounds of ash Shabaab's Jan. 31, 2021 deadly attack on the Afrik Hotel in Mogadishu, Somalia, which resulted in nine deaths, including four of the terrorists.

The Afrik Hotel is often frequented by politicians, military personnel, and foreign diplomats. Some authorities reported that the non-militant deaths were all civilians, but a separate report indicated that Mohamed Nur Galal, a retired top military general, was killed in the attack. The attack was initiated by a car bomb at the front gate, and an eight-hour gun battle ensued.

In January, the US military had completed a withdrawal of approximately 700 troops stationed in Somalia. The troops were disseminated across other African bases, and are still carrying out operations within Somalia. It was suggested that the withdrawal may embolden the Shabaab militants to carry out high profile attacks like this one.