Seven Killed, Including Children, in Afgooye Raid Sparking Clan Tensions

by: Horn Observer Contributor | 13 October 2024 21:42

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Seven Killed, Including Children, in Afgooye Raid Sparking Clan Tensions

AFGOYE, Somalia (HORN OBSERVER) – At least five officers of the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) were killed in Afgoye, a town about 30 kilometers from Mogadishu, on Saturday night, igniting tensions fueled by clan rivalries.

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In the wake of the killings, unrest has spread in Afgooye, with protests by relatives of the victims and local residents on Sunday.

AFGOYE, Somalia (HORN OBSERVER) – At least five officers of the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) were killed in Afgoye, a town about 30 kilometers from Mogadishu, on Saturday night, igniting tensions fueled by clan rivalries.

Residents told Kaab TV that heavily armed men, believed to be affiliated with the Somali government, raided the home of a mid-ranking NISA officer and his police guards.

The officer and four of his guards were killed in the attack.

According to locals, two children also lost their lives during the raid, while several civilians, including an elderly woman, were injured in the crossfire between the two forces.

The operation was reportedly conducted by NISA forces from Mogadishu.

Local elders, who staged a protest on Sunday, said the majority of those killed belonged to the Galadi clan of the Rahanweyn, condemning the midnight raid.

Abdirahman Shaam, a resident of Afgoye, reported that at least seven men from the area were also abducted during the raid and remain missing.

In the wake of the killings, unrest has spread in Afgoye, with protests by relatives of the victims and local residents.

Neither the Somali government nor the South West State administration has commented on the incident so far.

The bodies of the slain officers remain in cold storage, as families refuse to proceed with burial until justice is served.

The Afgoye raid comes just days after President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud returned from his trip to Asmara, Eritrea, amid reports of his preparations to target opposition groups and rival clans.

The South West State, under whose jurisdiction Afgoye falls, has been at odds with President Hassan Sheikh’s administration due to its closer ties to Ethiopia, in contrast to Mogadishu’s alignment with Egypt.

It remains unclear whether the raid in Afgoye is directly linked to these political and regional differences.