Countries › Somalia › May 2026
Somalia: conflict events in May 2026
Monthly report from UCDP event data.
Somalia saw 30 recorded events and 365 estimated deaths in May 2026. That is about the same as the previous month (33). The death toll range is 364 to 400.
90% of the month's events were state-based armed conflict. Civilian deaths: 14.
Events were concentrated in Bay region (7), Lower Shabelle region (5), Hiran region (4).
The most active pairing was Government of Somalia - Al-Shabaab with 21 events.
Where events happened
Regions, May 2026
| Region | Events | Est. deaths |
|---|---|---|
| Bay region | 7 | 67 |
| Lower Shabelle region | 5 | 142 |
| Hiran region | 4 | 31 |
| Bari region | 4 | 19 |
| Middle Shabelle region | 4 | 11 |
| Banaadir region | 2 | 8 |
| Middle Juba region | 1 | 66 |
| Mudug region | 1 | 13 |
| Lower Juba region | 1 | 7 |
| Bakool region | 1 | 1 |
Deadliest events, May 2026
| Date | Where | Parties | Est. deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28 May 2026 | Brava district Lower Shabelle region | Government of Somalia vs Al-Shabaab State-based | 67 |
| 28 May 2026 | Afgoye district Lower Shabelle region | Government of Somalia vs Al-Shabaab State-based | 67 |
| 28 May 2026 | Jilib district Middle Juba region | Government of Somalia vs Al-Shabaab State-based | 66 |
| 14 May 2026 | Baidoa district Bay region | Government of Somalia vs Al-Shabaab State-based, 3 sources | 50 |
| 21 May 2026 | Bulo Burti district Hiran region | Government of Somalia vs Al-Shabaab State-based, 2 sources | 14 |
| 6 May 2026 | Mudug region | Government of Somalia vs Al-Shabaab State-based, 2 sources | 13 |
| 30 May 2026 | Baidoa district Bay region | Government of Somalia vs Forces of Laftagareen State-based, 2 sources | 10 |
| 21 May 2026 | Bulo Burti district Hiran region | Government of Somalia vs Al-Shabaab State-based, 2 sources | 9 |
| 24 May 2026 | Bossaso district Bari region | Puntland State of Somalia vs IS Non-state | 7 6–7 |
| 20 May 2026 | Kismayo district Lower Juba region | Government of Somalia vs Al-Shabaab State-based, 7 civilian, 3 sources | 7 |
Parties
| Party | Events |
|---|---|
| Government of Somalia | 24 |
| Al-Shabaab | 21 |
| Unidentified armed group | 6 |
| Forces of Laftagareen | 3 |
| Puntland State of Somalia | 3 |
| IS | 3 |
Type of violence
| Category | Events |
|---|---|
| State-based | 27 |
| Non-state | 3 |
| One-sided | 0 |
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.