Mogadishu — Heavy fighting broke out Sunday in an area between the districts of Gubadleey in Mogadishu and Warsheekh in Somalia's Middle Shabelle region after federal government forces arrived to conduct an operation targeting what authorities described as illegally held weapons, local sources said.

According to preliminary reports, the clashes involved Somali government troops and fighters said to be aligned with former Somali Security Minister Abdullahi Mohamed Nur.

The confrontation comes a day after an attack targeted a hotel owned by the former minister in Mogadishu, further heightening political and security tensions.

Residents and local sources reported exchanges of heavy gunfire in the area, though the number of casualties and the extent of the damage were not immediately clear.

Separately, reports indicated increased military activity around positions held by forces loyal to General Saney Abdulle in Gubadleey district, raising concerns that the unrest could spread to other parts of the region.

Neither the Somali federal government nor representatives of the forces involved have issued an official statement on the fighting.

The latest violence comes amid growing political tensions in Somalia, where disputes involving government officials, opposition figures and allied security forces have fueled concerns over stability in and around the capital.