Mogadishu (Somalia Today) — Somali National Army troops clashed overnight with a militia linked to former security minister Abdullahi Mohamed Nur after the group left Mogadishu for Middle Shabelle, security sources said.
The militia, travelling in about eight armed vehicles, left the Gubadley district of Banadir region after learning that Haramcad special police units were moving towards them to carry out a disarmament operation, according to local reports.
Somali National Army units operating in southern Middle Shabelle moved to block the convoy near Eel-Bashaqle and Qorilow, areas under Warsheikh district.
The convoy later ran into an army position near Bashaqle, where fighting broke out between the two sides.
There was no immediate official confirmation of casualties. The army and Banadir police command had not issued public comments by early Sunday.
Unconfirmed reports gave conflicting accounts of what happened to the militia after the clash. Some said the group reached Adale district, while others said some of its vehicles moved towards Raage Eelle.
Other accounts said government troops seized three vehicles, while the remaining vehicles escaped.
Somalia Today could not independently verify the claims.
Hotel operation
The clash came a day after Somali security forces entered Elite Hotel in Mogadishu’s Lido Beach area.
The hotel is owned by Nur, who has recently aligned himself with opposition figures critical of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
Witnesses said the forces disarmed the hotel’s guards before entering the building.
Nur said heavily armed forces entered the hotel at about 11:30 am on Saturday, “equipped with heavy weaponry, including explosives and demolition equipment”.
He said the forces “took full control of the hotel” and gathered the limited number of staff and security personnel present inside into a separate location.
The former minister said the troops told staff they were conducting a search.
But he accused the authorities of using the operation as a pretext to damage the business, remove property and later claim that weapons had been found there.
“We have reason to believe that the objective extends beyond a routine inspection,” Nur said in a statement.
He also said “not a single shot was fired from either inside or outside the hotel” during the armed confrontations that shook Abdiaziz district earlier in the week.
The presidency did not immediately respond to Nur’s accusations.
Mogadishu police did not name Elite Hotel in their statement, but said security forces were conducting operations to recover illegal weapons hidden in different locations in Abdiaziz district after clashes involving forces linked to former president Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.
“No one will be allowed to store or hide illegal weapons in their home,” police said, warning that anyone found hiding or moving illegal weapons would face legal action.
Political crisis
The latest developments follow days of unrest in Mogadishu involving government troops and armed groups linked to opposition politicians.
Fighting erupted in Howlwadaag and Abdiaziz districts ahead of a planned opposition protest against Mohamud, whose opponents say his four-year mandate expired on May 15.
The government says constitutional amendments approved by parliament in March set a new political timetable and form part of a transition towards direct elections.
The opposition says the changes are illegal and amount to an extension of the mandate.
Sharif, who served as Somalia’s president from 2009 to 2012, accused government forces of attacking his residence in Abdiaziz.
Former prime minister Hassan Ali Khaire also accused security forces of attacking a meeting he said was attended by elders, lawmakers and opposition representatives.
The government has rejected the opposition’s account and blamed armed groups for attacking state positions and endangering civilians.
The Ministry of Information said Friday that security forces had completed a 48-hour operation aimed at preventing armed groups from creating insecurity in Mogadishu.
It accused militias it said were organised by politicians, including Khaire and Sharif, of entering parts of the capital with heavy weapons and attacking police and civilians.
The ministry said security forces had seized heavy weapons and that judicial and security bodies had opened formal investigations.
Weapons sweep
Police later displayed military vehicles and heavy weapons near the Mirinaayo area of Abdiaziz district, close to the residence Sharif had used before leaving the area following talks involving Villa Somalia, international representatives and Somali traditional elders.
Moallim Mahdi, the commander of the Banadir regional police division, said security forces had recovered illegal weapons, including BKM machine guns, RPG launchers and DShK heavy machine guns.
He said the weapons posed a serious threat to public security in the capital.
The government has also displayed weapons it said were seized from forces linked to Khaire in Howlwadaag district.
The United Nations, United States, African Union and regional bloc IGAD have urged Somali leaders to exercise restraint and resolve the dispute through dialogue.
But the reported clash in Middle Shabelle suggests the crisis may be entering a new phase, with armed groups linked to opposition figures seeking to move outside the capital as government forces press ahead with a disarmament campaign.
