Heavy fighting erupted in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, as government security forces clashed with armed opposition militias ahead of planned anti-government protests. The overnight violence stems from soaring political tensions over a recent constitutional amendment that extends President Hassan Sheikh Mohammed’s term in office by an additional year. During the chaos, former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed accused state troops of targeting his residence and vowed to retaliate against the unprovoked aggression. As mortar fire and gun battles stretched into the morning, multiple homes sustained severe damage, forcing terrified civilians to flee their neighborhoods. Police maintain they are conducting a large-scale security operation to restore order, while the opposition continues to loudly denounce the mandate extension as unconstitutional.
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