Friday 2, Jan  2026  {HMC} The Somali National Army (SNA), supported by organized local community forces, has successfully thwarted an attempted assault by Khawaarij on the Wargaadhi area in the Middle Shabelle region. The coordinated defensive operation resulted in a decisive victory for government forces and a significant setback for the terror group.

During the engagement, the joint security forces neutralized the senior commander responsible for leading the militant unit. The counter-attack inflicted severe losses upon the aggressors, with reports confirming numerous fatalities among the militia ranks, while the survivors were forced to flee the battlefield in disarray. The National Army is currently engaged in an active pursuit operation to track down and eliminate the fleeing remnants of the group to ensure they cannot regroup.

The Command of the Somali National Army has confirmed that the security situation in Wargaadhi has been fully restored. The area remains under the firm control of the armed forces, and officials have assured the public that there is no imminent security threat to the local population following the failed incursion.

In a statement following the victory, the Ministry of Defense and the Armed Forces Command reiterated their absolute commitment to the total eradication of the Kharijites. They issued a stern warning that any attempts to destabilize the nation or endanger the safety of Somali citizens will be met with immediate and overwhelming force.

Friday 2, Jan  2026  {HMC}  Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said his country does not want Israel to establish a presence in Somaliland, warning Tel Aviv’s recognition of the breakaway region risks bringing its conflicts to the region.

“We have never attacked Israel. We never have created problem to Israel. We don’t want Israel to come to us and bring their problem to us,” Mohamud told Turkish national broadcaster TRT World in an exclusive interview.

He described the move as a “very sad situation,” calling for the respect of international law.
Mohamud said Israel’s recent actions are not “compatible or convenient” with international law, pointing to Gaza and long history of conflict in the Middle East.

“It’s very sad that now that has been transferred to Somalia,” he lamented.

Global support

Mohamud said Mogadishu engaged the international community, including the UN, African Union, Intergovernmental Authority on Development, East African Community, Arab League, and Organization of Islamic Cooperation, which collectively stood with Somalia and publicly affirmed their support for sovereignty and territorial integrity.

He said Somalia’s northern regions have long faced secessionist and separatist challenges, but the government has always sought to resolve differences peacefully.

“The Somali government has never tried to force or to fight, or even to use the diplomatic muscle against these people,” he added.

Mohamud said Türkiye has tried to mediate between Somaliland and Somalia, holding meetings in 2015 and maintaining a representative in Hargeisa to continue the dialogue.

Ankara has traditionally stood with Somalia, Mohamud said, consistently supporting its unity and sovereignty during times of challenge.

Türkiye has a tradition of “always” standing with people who have been subjected to injustice, he added.

Recognition risks escalation

Mohamud said that Somalia retains the backing of the international community despite Israel’s recognition of Somaliland.

The Somali leader said the issue is critical given Israel’s recent actions in the Middle East, not only on Palestine but also in Syria and Lebanon, raising concerns about its involvement in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Horn of Africa, which he called a “very volatile region”.

He said an Israeli presence could trigger a conflict relapse in parts of Somalia and across neighboring countries around the Gulf of Aden and Arabian Gulf, noting that Yemen’s Houthis and Iran also have hostile relations with Israel.

“If Israel makes a proxy territory to attack the interests of other people, then those people will also attack back in Somaliland and Somalia, which is not going to be very good experience,” Mohamud warned.

He said establishing a military base in Somaliland and forcibly relocating Palestinians would escalate the conflict, a move the Somali government and people have categorically rejected.

Earlier, Mohamud told Qatari news network Al Jazeera that Somaliland has agreed to resettle Palestinians, host an Israeli military base, and join the Abraham Accords in return for recognition by Israel, citing intelligence reports.

Somalia-Türkiye partnership

The Somali president highlighted the country’s strategic partnership with Türkiye, noting that their cooperation spans defense, security, investment, natural resources, maritime affairs, and the “Blue Economy.”

He said he recently briefed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Somalia’s progress in security, democratization, and state-building, and they discussed accelerating joint projects.

Mohamud said foreign direct investment will “definitely” come to Somalia.

Türkiye’s early investment has opened the Somali market to foreign direct investment, particularly in oil and gas, and that Somalia is poised to become an oil-producing country, he added.

“It’s also going to be the big time for Türkiye to produce oil with its own technology, not by technology planted or hired from somewhere else,” he said.

Mohamud said the partnership will benefit both nations economically and diplomatically, giving Türkiye a first-mover advantage in a sector that requires long-term investment and carries high risk.

Türkiye also completed the necessary feasibility and design work for a space port it will establish in Somalia and the first phase of construction has begun.

Friday 2, Jan  2026  {HMC} Turkey will deploy a drilling vessel to Somalia in February as part of its first deepwater energy exploration project abroad, Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar announced on Wednesday.

Bayraktar said the operation will involve the Cagri Bey drilling vessel and will focus on offshore areas within Somali territorial waters. He did not disclose details regarding potential reserves or the scale of investment.

The announcement comes amid expanding economic and strategic ties between Ankara and Mogadishu. Speaking at a joint press conference in Istanbul on Tuesday alongside Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Türkiye plans to begin offshore energy drilling activities in 2026 under a bilateral agreement with Somalia.

Erdoğan said the initiative would support Somalia’s economic development and noted that Türkiye has recently added two new deep-sea drilling vessels to its national energy fleet.

Somalia’s Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Dahir Shire, described the development as a landmark moment for the country.

“This is a long-awaited and historic moment for the Somali people,” Shire said.

“The progress we are witnessing today proves that Somalia’s natural resources can finally be developed in a serious, transparent, and sustainable manner.”

Türkiye has already carried out extensive seismic surveys in Somali waters under a previously signed cooperation agreement between the two governments, laying the groundwork for the planned drilling operations.

Addressing skepticism surrounding earlier announcements, Minister Shire stressed that the project is definitive and irreversible.

“When the drilling ship arrives in Somali waters in the Indian Ocean, it will not be there for symbolic reasons,” he said.

“It is not going there for fishing. It is going there to drill. Those who are pessimistic about Somalia’s oil and gas sector will soon see tangible results.”

Shire credited the progress to the close partnership between Somalia and Türkiye, highlighting cooperation that extends beyond energy into security and state-building efforts.

“This level of cooperation was made possible through the strong and brotherly relationship between Somalia and Türkiye,” he said.

“Leadership on both sides has been essential, not only in energy development but also in security cooperation and rebuilding state institutions.”

Turkey signed a formal energy exploration agreement with Somalia in 2024 as part of its broader strategy to diversify energy sources, reduce dependence on imports, and expand exploration activities both domestically and overseas.

SOURCE HIIRAAN.COM

Friday  2, Jan 2026 {HMC}– Several people were killed during unrest in Iran, Iranian media and rights groups said on Thursday, as the biggest protests to hit the Islamic Republic for three years over worsening economic conditions sparked violence in several provinces.

The semi-official Fars news agency reported that three protesters were killed and 17 were injured during an attack on a police station in Iran’s western province of Lorestan.

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“The rioters entered the police headquarters around 1800 (local time) on Thursday … they clashed with police forces and set fire to several police cars,” Fars reported.
Earlier, Fars and rights group Hengaw reported deaths in Lordegan city in the country’s Charmahal and Bakhtiari province. Authorities confirmed one death in the western city of Kuhdasht, and Hengaw reported another death in the central province of Isfahan.

The clashes between protesters and security forces mark a significant escalation in the unrest that has spread across the country since shopkeepers began protesting on Sunday over the government’s handling of a sharp currency slide and rapidly rising prices.

VIOLENCE REPORTED IN SEVERAL CITIES

Fars reported that two people had been killed in Lordegan in clashes between security services and what it called armed protesters. It earlier said several had died. Hengaw said several people had been killed and wounded there by security forces.

The Revolutionary Guards said one member of its affiliated Basij volunteer paramilitary unit had been killed in Kuhdasht and another 13 wounded, blaming demonstrators who it accused of taking advantage of the protests.

Hengaw said that the man, named by the Guards as Amirhossam Khodayari Fard, had been protesting and was killed by security forces.
Hengaw also reported that a protester was shot dead on Wednesday in Isfahan province in central Iran.

Reuters could not immediately verify any of those reports.

Protests also took place on Thursday in Marvdasht in the southern Fars province, the activist news site HRANA reported. Hengaw said demonstrators had been detained on Wednesday in the western provinces of Kermanshah, Khuzestan and Hamedan.

CRITICAL MOMENT FOR CLERICAL RULERS

Iran’s clerical rulers are grappling with Western sanctions that have battered an economy already reeling from more than 40% inflation, compounded by Israeli and U.S. airstrikes in June targeting the country’s nuclear and ballistic missile infrastructure and military leadership.
Tehran has responded to the protests with an offer of dialogue alongside its security response.

Government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said on Thursday that the authorities would hold a direct dialogue with representatives of trades unions and merchants, but without giving details.

The Basij is a volunteer paramilitary force loyal to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. It is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, which on Thursday accused those involved in the unrest in Kuhdasht of “taking advantage of the atmosphere of popular protests.”

GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

Merchants, shop owners and students in a number of Iranian universities have been demonstrating for days and closing major bazaars. The government shut down much of the country on Wednesday by declaring a holiday due to cold weather.

Authorities have in recent years quashed protests over issues ranging from high prices, droughts, women’s rights and political freedoms, often with tough security measures and extensive arrests.

Iran’s economy has been struggling for years, chiefly because of U.S. and Western sanctions over Tehran’s nuclear program. Regional tensions led to a 12-day air war with Israel in June, further straining the country’s finances.

The Iranian rial lost around half its value against the dollar in 2025, with official inflation reaching 42.5% in December.

Reporting by Elwely Elwelly; Writing by Angus McDowall, Nayera Abdallah and Parisa Hafezi; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Howard Goller

Source Hiiraan Online