Within Somalia UFOs
What Looked Like a Town in the Sky?
The 2018 moving-town sighting may have been a superior mirage, although missing photographs and weather data prevent a conclusive identification.
On this page
- What villagers and local officials reported
- How superior mirages create suspended landscapes
- Why conflicting town and rocket descriptions matter
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Introduction
In March 2018, residents of villages near Jalalaqsi in Somalia’s Hiiraan region reported seeing what appeared to be an entire town suspended in the sky. Witnesses described buildings, trees and mosque-like structures drifting across the horizon before disappearing. The event quickly attracted attention as a supposed UFO sighting, but the available evidence is limited to eyewitness accounts and local media reports. No authenticated photographs, video, meteorological observations or formal scientific investigation have been made public. As a result, the incident is best understood as an intriguing but unresolved atmospheric observation, with a superior mirage representing the most plausible natural explanation while remaining unproven.[Radio Dalsan]radiodalsan.comRadio Dalsan UFO Sighted Above Central Somalia Village, Residents ClaimRadio DalsanUFO Sighted Above Central Somalia Village, Residents Claim - Radio DalsanMarch 28, 2018…
What villagers and local officials reported
The reported sighting occurred in late March 2018 near Qoryaaley village in Jalalaqsi district. Multiple residents told Somali media that they observed what looked like a complete settlement moving across the sky. Witnesses described identifiable features including:
- Rows of buildings.
- Trees.
- Structures resembling mosques.
- Long windows on some buildings.
- A slow movement from north towards the south before the image disappeared.
One resident stated that people throughout the village emerged from their homes to watch the phenomenon. Some reportedly attempted to move closer to obtain a better view, while others responded by reciting verses from the Qur’an, reflecting both curiosity and uncertainty about what they were witnessing.[Radio Dalsan]radiodalsan.comRadio Dalsan UFO Sighted Above Central Somalia Village, Residents ClaimRadio DalsanUFO Sighted Above Central Somalia Village, Residents Claim - Radio DalsanMarch 28, 2018…
The district commissioner, Mohammed Ali Fidow, also stated that local residents alerted the authorities and that he personally witnessed an unusual image in the sky. His comments are notable because they indicate that the reports were not confined to a single individual. However, the commissioner did not offer a technical explanation and simply acknowledged that the administration intended to investigate the reports.[Radio Dalsan]radiodalsan.comRadio Dalsan UFO Sighted Above Central Somalia Village, Residents ClaimRadio DalsanUFO Sighted Above Central Somalia Village, Residents Claim - Radio DalsanMarch 28, 2018…
Why the descriptions do not fully agree
Although later retellings often summarise the incident as “a town in the sky”, the original reports contain an important inconsistency.
Alongside descriptions of suspended buildings and trees, some observers reportedly described seeing a rocket-like object travelling at relatively low altitude instead. These differing accounts complicate efforts to reconstruct exactly what was observed.
Several factors may explain the discrepancy:
- Different viewing locations may have produced different perspectives.
- Witnesses may have focused on different parts of the phenomenon.
- Memories may have changed as the story spread.
- Multiple unrelated objects may have been present simultaneously.
The conflicting descriptions weaken attempts to present the event as a single clearly defined object. Instead, they suggest either an unusual optical display viewed under varying conditions or differing interpretations of a brief and unfamiliar visual event.[Radio Dalsan]radiodalsan.comRadio Dalsan UFO Sighted Above Central Somalia Village, Residents ClaimRadio DalsanUFO Sighted Above Central Somalia Village, Residents Claim - Radio DalsanMarch 28, 2018…
How superior mirages can create floating landscapes
The leading conventional explanation is a superior mirage.
A superior mirage forms when layers of unusually warm air lie above much colder air. The resulting temperature inversion bends light downward rather than along its usual path. Under favourable conditions, this atmospheric refraction can project distant objects well beyond the normal horizon.
Unlike the shimmering “heat haze” familiar on hot roads, superior mirages can preserve surprisingly detailed images. Depending on the strength and stability of the inversion, observers may see:
- Coastlines apparently floating above the horizon.
- Ships suspended in the air.
- Distorted cities or skylines.
- Inverted or stretched landscapes.
- Multiple stacked images of the same distant terrain.
More complex forms of superior mirage, sometimes called Fata Morgana displays, can dramatically stretch, compress or duplicate distant objects, making familiar landscapes appear unfamiliar or even impossible.
If suitable atmospheric conditions existed over central Somalia that day, a distant settlement viewed through a strong temperature inversion could potentially have appeared detached from the ground and moving as the air layers evolved. However, no detailed meteorological measurements from the precise location and time have been published to test this hypothesis directly.
Why the mirage explanation remains plausible but unconfirmed
The superior mirage hypothesis fits several features of the reports:
- The appearance of recognisable buildings and trees.
- Slow apparent movement across the horizon.
- Eventual disappearance as atmospheric conditions changed.
- Lack of any reported physical interaction with the object.
However, important limitations remain.
No verified photographs or videos have entered the public record despite widespread claims that many villagers witnessed the event. Likewise, there are no published weather soundings or temperature profiles capable of demonstrating that a strong inversion existed over the area at the relevant time. Without those data, the atmospheric explanation cannot be confirmed scientifically.
Equally, there is no evidence supporting extraordinary explanations. No radar observations, satellite detections, aircraft reports or physical traces have been associated with the incident. The absence of independent instrumental evidence means that the event cannot reasonably be presented as evidence of unidentified technology.
Assessing the evidence
Compared with many alleged UFO incidents, the Jalalaqsi case occupies an unusual middle ground.
Several aspects increase its interest:
- Multiple independent witnesses reportedly observed something unusual.
- A district official publicly acknowledged receiving reports and witnessing an unexplained aerial image.
- Witnesses consistently described landscape-like features rather than lights or structured craft.
At the same time, significant weaknesses limit its evidential value:
- No authenticated imagery has surfaced.
- Witness testimony was collected through brief media interviews rather than systematic investigation.
- No detailed atmospheric measurements are available.
- Accounts differ over whether the object resembled a town or a rocket-like shape.
- No follow-up scientific investigation appears to have been published.
Taken together, these factors place the incident in the category of an unresolved atmospheric observation rather than a documented UFO event.
What the case contributes to Somalia’s UFO record
Within Somalia’s small catalogue of reported anomalous aerial events, the Jalalaqsi “moving town” stands out because witnesses described a recognisable landscape rather than lights or an apparently structured craft. That distinctive description makes atmospheric optics a more natural line of inquiry than it would be for many conventional UFO reports.
The case also illustrates a recurring problem in assessing unusual sightings in Somalia. Events may attract widespread local attention but still lack the photographs, weather records, precise timings and formal investigations needed for confident conclusions. Consequently, the 2018 Jalalaqsi sighting remains an interesting but weakly documented episode whose most credible explanation is a superior mirage, while acknowledging that the available evidence is insufficient to establish exactly what observers saw.[Radio Dalsan]radiodalsan.comRadio Dalsan UFO Sighted Above Central Somalia Village, Residents ClaimRadio DalsanUFO Sighted Above Central Somalia Village, Residents Claim - Radio DalsanMarch 28, 2018…
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Endnotes
1.
Source: ground.news
Link:https://ground.news/article/deadly-clan-violence-engulfs-jalalaqsi-leaving-homes-in-ruins-and-communities-displaced_f66a60
Source snippet
• Updated 26 days ago DEADLY CLAN VIOLENCE ENGULFS JALALAQSI, LEAVING HOMES IN RUINS AND COMMUNITIES DISPLACED Summary by WardheerNews Mo...
2.
Source: news.sky.com
Title: jalalaqsi 113994
Link:https://news.sky.com/weather/jalalaqsi-113994
Source snippet
sky.comJalalaqsi, Somalia - Latest Forecast | Sky NewsTUESDAY 17TH MARCH'S FORECAST Sunny Temperature: high 31°C 87°F, low 27°C 81°F Cha...
3.
Source: youtube.com
Title: What is Fata Morgana?
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oosfx5pFncA
Source snippet
Mirages - how they work...
4.
Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6Euxa6-ndk
5.
Source: radiodalsan.com
Title: Radio Dalsan UFO Sighted Above Central Somalia Village, Residents Claim
Link:https://radiodalsan.com/2018/03/28/ufo-sighted-above-central-somalia-village-residents-claim/
Source snippet
Radio DalsanUFO Sighted Above Central Somalia Village, Residents Claim - Radio DalsanMarch 28, 2018...
Published: March 28, 2018
6.
Source: Wikipedia
Link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jalalaqsi
7.
Source: mapcarta.com
Link:https://mapcarta.com/12458506/Map
Source snippet
It is situated on the Shebelle River, between Buuloburde and Jowhar. Jalalaqsi is among a few cities away from the main...
Additional References
8.
Source: ecoi.net
Link:https://www.ecoi.net/en/document/2108528.html
Source snippet
REACH Initiative, IMPACT Initiatives (Author), published by ReliefWeb: “Detailed Site Assessment - February 2024 Jalalaqsi, Somalia”, Doc...
Published: February 2024
9.
Source: intelligencebriefs.com
Link:https://intelligencebriefs.com/sna-amisom-repulse-al-shabaab-attacks-on-their-bases-near-jalalaqsi-town-in-hiiraan-region/
Source snippet
SNA, AMISOM Repulse Al-Shabaab Attacks on their Bases near Jalalaqsi Town in Hiiraan Region – Strategic Intelligence ServiceJune 18, 2018...
Published: June 18, 2018
10.
Source: scielo.org.za
Link:https://scielo.org.za/scielo.php?pid=S1753-53872022000400002&script=sci_arttext
Source snippet
Wagar and Motley "Archaic" Vestiges: A Postmodernist Reading of Contemporary Somali FictionJOURNAL OF LITERARY STUDIES ON-LINE VERSION IS...
11.
Source: radioergo.org
Link:https://radioergo.org/en/2018/10/hundreds-of-families-displaced-over-security-fears-in-hiran-region-arrive-in-jalaqsi-town/
Source snippet
Radio Ergo - Somali Humanitarian News and InformationOctober 22, 2018 — HUNDREDS OF FAMILIES DISPLACED OVER SECURITY FEARS IN HIRAN REGIO...
Published: October 22, 2018
12.
Source: m.thewire.in
Link:https://m.thewire.in/article/media/reuters-team-prevented-from-climbing-hill-to-madrasa-site-in-balakot-a-third-time
Source snippet
Team Prevented From Climbing Hill to Madrasa Site in Balakot a Third Time - The WireMarch 8, 2019 — REUTERS TEAM PREVENTED FROM CLIMBING...
Published: March 8, 2019
13.
Source: investing.com
Title: Men with guns still rule in Libya as return to ‘ghost town’ blocked By Reuters
Link:https://www.investing.com/news/world-news/men-with-guns-still-rule-in-libya-as-return-to-ghost-town-blocked-1203824
Source snippet
February 6, 2018 — MEN WITH GUNS STILL RULE IN LIBYA AS RETURN TO 'GHOST TOWN' BLOCKED By Published 02/06/2018, 10:22 AM Updated 02/06/20...
Published: February 6, 2018
14.
Source: voanews.com
Title: Somalia: 13 Militants, 4 Civilians Killed in Market Blast, Fighting
Link:https://www.voanews.com/a/somalia-13-militants-4-civilians-killed-in-market-blast-fighting/4391141.html
Source snippet
May 12, 2018 — SOMALIA: 13 MILITANTS, 4 CIVILIANS KILLED IN MARKET BLAST, FIGHTING * By Mohamed Olad Hassan May 12, 2018 11:25 AM Somalia...
Published: May 12, 2018
15.
Source: garoweonline.com
Title: Somalia: Allied troops launch operation to clear main supply routes
Link:https://www.garoweonline.com/en/news/somalia/somalia-allied-troops-launch-operation-to-clear-main-supply-routes
Source snippet
December 10, 2018 — SOMALIA: ALLIED TROOPS LAUNCH OPERATION TO CLEAR MAIN SUPPLY ROUTES * Image: author Xinhua Somalia * Posted On 12-10...
Published: December 10, 2018
16.
Source: egyptindependent.com
Title: Syrian rebels Jaish al-Islam refuse to leave Ghouta: spokesman
Link:https://www.egyptindependent.com/syrian-rebels-jaish-al-islam-refuse-leave-ghouta-spokesman/
Source snippet
Egypt IndependentMarch 26, 2018 — SYRIAN REBELS JAISH AL-ISLAM REFUSE TO LEAVE GHOUTA: SPOKESMAN ReutersMarch 26, 2018 Image A bus convoy...
Published: March 26, 2018
17.
Source: xinhuanet.com
Title: 6 (Xinhua) – At least two people were killed on Tuesday in c
Link:https://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-02/06/c_136953898.htm
Source snippet
2 killed in clashes with al-Shabaab militants in central Somalia - Xinhua | English.news.cnFebruary 6, 2018 — 2 KILLED IN CLASHES WITH AL...
Published: February 6, 2018