Sunday October 19, 2025
Mogadishu (HOL) — Several people were killed and others wounded Sunday when clan militias fought near the villages of U Maraayo and Baalal Dheer in Somalia’s central Galgadud region, local elders and residents said.
The clashes, which erupted following a revenge-related killing, involved heavy weapons and forced civilians to flee the area. Residents said the violence left multiple casualties, though the exact death toll remains unclear.
“Tensions are still high, and both sides remain armed in their positions,” one resident in Baalal Dheer told Hiiraan Online by phone. “People fear the fighting could start again at any moment.”
Elders and community leaders have appealed for an immediate ceasefire, but efforts to mediate have so far failed. Neither the Galmudug regional administration nor the federal government has taken visible steps to defuse the crisis.
Hiiraan Online will continue to update this developing story as new information becomes available