Somali security forces search Mogadishu’s Abdiaziz district for illegal weapons after clashes

Saturday June 6, 2026

Mogadishu (AX) — Somali security forces have moved into Mogadishu’s Abdiaziz district in a targeted sweep to recover illegal weapons allegedly used by armed groups in the capital’s recent clashes, police said Saturday.

The Banadir Regional Police Command said the firearms were believed to be concealed in multiple locations across the district, and officers were carrying out searches as part of a broader push to restore calm in Mogadishu.

“It will not be acceptable to store or hide illegal weapons in homes that pose a threat to the security of the capital and the country as a whole,” police said in a statement.

Security agencies urged residents of Abdiaziz and surrounding neighborhoods to support the operation, saying cooperation from the public is crucial to preserving peace and public order.

Police warned that anyone found storing, concealing or assisting in the movement of illegal weapons would face legal action.

The statement did not say who owned the weapons or identify the homes being searched. Local reports, however, suggested the operation was aimed at military officers and others believed to have close links to former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.

The weapons search comes after more than two days of fighting between government forces and opposition-aligned fighters, violence that shut down parts of Mogadishu and sent thousands of families fleeing.

The clashes broke out Wednesday and quickly spread through Abdiaziz, Hawlwadag and other densely populated districts before easing Friday. The federal government later said it had re-established control in the affected areas.

The unrest grew out of a widening political dispute over President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s mandate and the country’s electoral transition. Mohamud says parliament legally extended the term of federal institutions through constitutional amendments, while opposition leaders have denounced the move as a power grab.

For nearly two days, residents described sustained gunfire and explosions across swaths of the capital. Several homes and residential buildings near the fighting were damaged.

The United Nations refugee agency said the violence left at least 13 people dead and 189 injured, while about 12,500 households were forced to flee as the fighting spread through residential areas. Some civilians were trapped inside their homes during the clashes.

Opposition figures accuse the federal government of deploying security forces to silence peaceful protests and political dissent. Federal officials, meanwhile, argue that the operations are needed to stop armed groups from destabilizing the capital and to safeguard civilians, public property and state institutions.