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Smoke rises over a residential area after reported shelling in the Howl Wadaag district of Mogadishu, on June 4, 2026. [AFP]
Heavy gunfire rocked Somalia's capital overnight, with smoke rising over the city and armed forces deployed on the streets on Thursday, AFP journalists reported, after clashes erupted between rival political factions ahead of planned protests.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud plunged Somalia into a fresh political crisis in mid-May after announcing a one-year extension of his term, which had been due to expire on May 15.
The opposition and regional leaders have rejected the move and demonstrations against it were due to take place in Mogadishu on Thursday.
