Somalia: Heavy gunfire erupts at opposition march in Mogadishu

The violence comes after weeks of tensions over delayed elections in the Horn of Africa nation.

Gunfire and blasts have erupted in Somalia’s capital of Mogadishu, according to witnesses, Somali government and opposition leaders, as security forces clashed with protesters angered by delayed elections. It was unclear who opened fire first, but one witness Yusuf Mohamed reported a “heavy exchange of gunfire” between security forces and armed guards protecting opposition supporters who began their march along the main airport road. “There can be casualties but we are taking cover now I don’t know exactly what happened,” he told the AFP news agency.