People gather during a protest in a street in Mogadishu, Somalia, on Thursday after fighting erupted between opposition-led protesters and Somali state security forces during a planned protest against the federal government's mandate extension for President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. Photo by Said Yusuf Warsame/EPA
June 4 (UPI) -- The Somalian military and opposition militias opposed to an extension of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's term by the country's parliament skirmished Thursday in its capital.
After the opposing sides set up positions within Mogadishu late Wednesday, gunfire and fighting broke out in the city ahead of planned demonstrations today, The Guardian and The New York Times reported.
Mohamud was due to leave office May 15, but the country's parliament voted to extend his term by one year, prompting opposition leaders -- including former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and former Prime Minister Hassan Khayre -- to announce demonstrations against what they said is a constitutional crisis.
Ahmed said that government forces had targeted his home intending to kill him because he has spoken out against the extended term and is leading resistance to it.
