Heavy fighting in Mogadishu disrupts roads and airport access

Thursday June 4, 2026

Mogadishu (AX) — More than 10 hours of intense fighting between Somali government forces and armed groups aligned with the opposition shook Mogadishu on Wednesday, cutting off roads, disrupting airport traffic and sending residents in parts of the capital scrambling for safety.

The violence began at Dabka junction, where government forces and security guards linked to former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire each blamed the other for triggering the confrontation.

Police said masked gunmen opened fire on a checkpoint staffed by security forces, using heavy weapons that included assault rifles. Khaire, meanwhile, said government forces attacked a consultative meeting he was attending with traditional elders, lawmakers, opposition figures, youth leaders and civil society activists.

The clashes later spread into several districts and neighborhoods after opposition figures accused government forces of targeting former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.

In Hawlwadaag district, residents recorded scenes of fear as sustained gunfire echoed through the area. Witnesses said they saw armed opposition fighters exchanging fire with Somali police.

“The shooting lasted for about 15 minutes before it subsided. They even used RPGs, and the sound of the explosions could be heard across the surrounding neighborhoods,” witness Saleban Mahad said.

Banadir Regional Police Commander Mahdi Omar Mumin said Thursday morning that security agencies were nearing the end of a major operation against what he described as heavily armed militias firing mortars into neighborhoods of the capital.

He called on residents to stay vigilant and work with security agencies, saying operations were still under way to clear armed groups from the city.

“Security agencies are also conducting ongoing operations to eliminate these armed militias, and anyone involved in these acts will be swiftly brought to justice,” he said.

The fighting brought movement across Mogadishu to a halt, with access to the airport and key roads affected. Some residents fled their homes out of fear the violence could spread further.

The clashes broke out hours after the Banadir Regional Administration and Mogadishu Municipality said opposition groups would be permitted to stage demonstrations on Thursday, but only at designated sites and under tight security measures.

Authorities approved rallies at Banadir Stadium in Abdiaziz district, Mogadishu Stadium in Warta Nabadda district and the Jaamacadaha area in Hodan district.

Opposition leaders rejected the government’s attempt to confine protests to specific locations, saying peaceful demonstration is a constitutional right that should be allowed throughout the capital.

The planned protests come against a backdrop of escalating political tension over elections, constitutional changes and Somalia’s broader political transition. Opposition leaders accuse President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s government of forcing through reforms without consensus. Federal officials say the administration is pushing Somalia toward one-person, one-vote elections and must safeguard public order in Mogadishu.

The president has sought to move Somalia away from its indirect electoral system, which gives clan elders a central role, and toward direct voting. The opposition, however, insists that any electoral shift must rest on broad political agreement.