Heavy Fighting Rocks Mogadishu As Political Crisis Deepens

Mogadishu, June 4 (Horn Diplomat) — Heavy fighting that began on Wednesday night and continued into Thursday rocked parts of Mogadishu, disrupting key roads, restricting access to the city's international airport and raising fears that Somalia's escalating political crisis could further destabilize the capital.

Government forces and militias aligned with opposition leaders exchanged gunfire from Wednesday night into Thursday morning in several districts of the city, including Howlwadaag and Abdiaziz, according to residents, opposition figures and international media reports. The clashes erupted ahead of planned anti-government demonstrations organized by opposition groups challenging President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's leadership and recent constitutional changes.

Residents reported heavy weapons fire, explosions and the movement of armed forces through major neighborhoods, forcing many civilians to flee their homes. Witnesses said some roads leading to central Mogadishu were blocked, while access to Aden Adde International Airport was disrupted as security forces tightened their presence across the city.

The violence marks one of the most serious confrontations in the Somalia capital in recent years and highlights growing tensions between the federal government and opposition leaders over the country's electoral future.