Friday June 13, 2025

Mogadishu (HOL) – At least four Muslim clerics were killed
and four others wounded in a suspected clan revenge attack in Xaloole, a
village in the Warsheikh district of Middle Shabelle region, on Thursday, local
residents and officials confirmed.

The clerics had reportedly traveled to the area to lead a
Qur’an recitation ceremony when they were ambushed and killed, according to
residents. The attackers, believed to be affiliated with a rival clan, fled the
scene before local authorities arrived.

Residents expressed outrage and fear over the attack, saying
the violence has triggered panic in the community.

“Targeting clerics in such a sacred context is deeply
disturbing and unacceptable,” said one elder, speaking on condition of
anonymity.

Local officials said a security operation had been launched
to apprehend those responsible. No arrests have yet been announced.

The area has experienced recurring clan-related violence in
recent years. In late 2022, a similar incident occurred in the same region in
what authorities described as a targeted killing of members of a single family
based on clan affiliation.

Clan-based attacks remain a persistent threat in parts of
south-central Somalia, particularly in Middle Shabelle, where longstanding
disputes and cycles of revenge often escalate into deadly violence. Community
leaders and religious figures have repeatedly called for reconciliation and
stronger governance to end the bloodshed.