Somali police say 32 people died in an attack on a beach hotel. Al-Shabab claimed responsibility.

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Police in Somalia said Saturday that 32 people died and 63 others were wounded in an attack on a beach hotel in the capital, Mogadishu, the previous evening.

Al-Qaida’s East Africa affiliate, al-Shabab, said through its radio station that its fighters carried out the attack.

Police spokesperson Maj. Abdifatah Adan Hassan told journalists that one soldier was killed and another wounded, while the rest of the dead were civilians. Witnesses reported an explosion followed by gunfire.

Lido Beach, a popular area in Mogadishu, is bustling on Friday nights as Somalis enjoy their weekend.