Somali police clashed with opposition forces Wednesday outside the Warta Nabadda district police station in Mogadishu, leaving casualties among security personnel, opposition fighters and civilians, witnesses and officials said.
The violence erupted after opposition leaders including former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, ex–Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire and opposition figure Abdirahman Abdishakur arrived Mogadishu’s Sinai Market, where government troops had earlier been accused of harassing civilians.
Gunfire broke out near the police station, with both sides using heavy and small weapons for several minutes, according to preliminary reports. Some stray bullets struck inside holding cells where detainees were being kept.
Officials did not immediately provide figures for the dead and wounded.
In a statement, the federal government condemned what it described as an armed attempt by “political elements” to seize control of the Warta Nabadda police station.
“The Government of Somalia regrets that politicians who aspire to seize power in the country are attempting to shed the blood of the people and the Armed Forces engaged in defending the country and fighting terrorism,” the statement said.
Authorities placed responsibility for the violence squarely on opposition leaders, accusing them of undermining security, order and the rule of law.
The confrontation underscores mounting political tensions between President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s administration and opposition figures over the electoral process, heightening fears of further unrest in the capital.
