Countries › Somalia › January 2026
Somalia: conflict events in January 2026
Monthly report from UCDP event data.
Somalia saw 44 recorded events and 972 estimated deaths in January 2026. That is +26% compared with 35 events the month before. The death toll range is 970 to 1,034.
93% of the month's events were state-based armed conflict. Civilian deaths: 34.
Events were concentrated in Middle Shabelle region (10), Lower Shabelle region (10), Lower Juba region (6).
The most active pairing was Government of Somalia - Al-Shabaab with 40 events.
Where events happened
Regions, January 2026
| Region | Events | Est. deaths |
|---|---|---|
| Middle Shabelle region | 10 | 631 |
| Lower Shabelle region | 10 | 44 |
| Lower Juba region | 6 | 171 |
| Middle Juba region | 6 | 57 |
| Bay region | 6 | 52 |
| Bari region | 3 | 6 |
| Galgudud region | 1 | 7 |
| Hiran region | 1 | 4 |
| Gedo region | 1 | 0 |
Deadliest events, January 2026
| Date | Where | Parties | Est. deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Jan 2026 | Balad district Middle Shabelle region | Government of Somalia vs Al-Shabaab State-based | 498 |
| 21 Jan 2026 | Kismayo district Lower Juba region | Government of Somalia vs Al-Shabaab State-based, 4 sources | 106 |
| 26 Jan 2026 | Balad district Middle Shabelle region | Government of Somalia vs Al-Shabaab State-based, 2 sources | 50 |
| 31 Jan 2026 | Adan Yabal district Middle Shabelle region | Government of Somalia vs Al-Shabaab State-based, 27 civilian, 5 sources | 40 |
| 15 Jan 2026 | Marka district Lower Shabelle region | Government of Somalia vs Al-Shabaab State-based, 2 sources | 31 |
| 23 Jan 2026 | Kismayo district Lower Juba region | Government of Somalia vs Al-Shabaab State-based | 24 |
| 21 Jan 2026 | Kismayo district Lower Juba region | Government of Somalia vs Al-Shabaab State-based, 2 sources | 24 |
| 8 Jan 2026 | Bur Hakaba district Bay region | Government of Somalia vs Al-Shabaab State-based | 22 |
| 3 Jan 2026 | Bur Hakaba district Bay region | Government of Somalia vs Al-Shabaab State-based, 2 sources | 20 |
| 8 Jan 2026 | Saakow district Middle Juba region | Government of Somalia vs Al-Shabaab State-based, 2 sources | 18 |
Parties
| Party | Events |
|---|---|
| Al-Shabaab | 41 |
| Government of Somalia | 41 |
| IS | 3 |
| Puntland State of Somalia | 2 |
Type of violence
| Category | Events |
|---|---|
| State-based | 41 |
| Non-state | 2 |
| One-sided | 1 |
All months
Monthly reports:Jul 2026Jun 2026May 2026Apr 2026Mar 2026Feb 2026Jan 2026Dec 2025Nov 2025Oct 2025Sep 2025Aug 2025Jul 2025Jun 2025May 2025Apr 2025Mar 2025Feb 2025Jan 2025Dec 2024Nov 2024Oct 2024Sep 2024Aug 2024Jul 2024
Source: UCDP GED and Candidate Events, CC BY 4.0. Counts use the "best" fatality estimate. See methodology.