Mogadishu Wakes to Tense Calm after Overnight Clashes

GOOBJOOG NEWS | MOGADISHU: Residents of Mogadishu awoke on Thursday to a tense security situation after hours of heavy fighting and shelling rocked parts of the capital overnight, according to witnesses and local residents.

The clashes, which were reported in the Abdiaziz and Howlwadaag districts, involved heavy gunfire and artillery fire that echoed across several parts of the city, leaving many residents confined to their homes.

Witnesses said the fighting began late on Wednesday and continued into the early hours of Thursday, with the sound of explosions and gunfire heard in multiple neighborhoods.

“People barely slept throughout the night,” one resident said. “The explosions and gunfire could be heard from far away.”

While the intensity of the fighting appeared to ease by Thursday morning, sporadic gunfire and occasional bursts of heavy weapons fire were still being reported in some areas.

The full circumstances surrounding the clashes remain unclear, and there was no immediate official information on casualties or damage.

The violence comes amid heightened political tensions in Somalia, where disagreements between the federal government and opposition leaders have deepened in recent weeks over constitutional reforms, electoral arrangements and the future direction of the country’s political transition.

On Wednesday, the federal government accused armed men linked to former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Kheyre of attacking a police facility in Mogadishu, an allegation that Kheyre and other opposition figures have disputed.

Opposition leaders, meanwhile, accused government forces of targeting political gatherings and attempting to restrict opposition activities ahead of planned demonstrations in the capital. Both sides have presented conflicting accounts that could not be independently verified.

The clashes also came just hours before opposition groups were expected to hold demonstrations in Mogadishu. Authorities had approved the rallies but restricted them to designated venues and imposed security conditions, prompting a heavy deployment of security forces across key parts of the city.

The latest unrest highlights growing political strains in Somalia at a time when the government is also grappling with ongoing security challenges, including military operations against the militant group Al-Shabaab in central and southern regions of the country. Somali forces have recently intensified operations against the group, reporting gains in areas of Middle Shabelle and Hiiraan.

For many residents, the overnight fighting revived memories of previous political crises that spilled into security confrontations in the capital.

As authorities and opposition leaders traded accusations on Thursday, residents in affected areas remained on edge, awaiting clarity on the situation and hoping for a return to calm.