Fighting broke out Sunday morning in Jalalaqsi, located in Hiiraan region of central Somalia, between district commissioner loyalists and armed clan militias following the detention of a community elder, according to officials and witnesses.
Residents described hearing gunfire throughout the town as the opposing sides engaged in intense exchange of fire. The violence was triggered after local authorities arrested a traditional leader, prompting his clan members to assault district government facilities in an attempt to secure his release.
‘Two individuals lost their lives and several sustained injuries. The confrontation began when authorities detained a prominent elder from his clan. Government officials had sought the man’s release through proper legal procedures, but his community refused and instead attacked the district headquarters,’ one resident stated.
Recent information suggests that tensions have subsided with local community elders intervening to mediate and prevent the conflict from spreading to neighboring districts.
The Jalalaqsi district administration has not yet released an official statement regarding the clashes, which have left residents in impacted neighborhoods distressed by the violent early-morning incident.