At least five people were killed Tuesday in a violent clash between SSC-Khaatumo forces and Somaliland troops in Goof district, Sanaag region, the latest escalation in a protracted and deadly territorial conflict.
The violence erupted early in the morning when SSC-Khaatumo forces reportedly launched an attack that resulted in the death of a man identified as Geele Egeh Dawan. The confrontation quickly intensified, leading to the deaths of four more individuals who had mobilized in defense of the district. The SSC-Khaatumo forces reportedly seized two vehicles during the clash.
The attack allegedly followed a raid the previous night by armed groups on a Somaliland military base in Erigabo, where one of the attackers was killed. In the aftermath of the raid, SSC-Khaatumo forces were also said to have driven away camels grazing in the area, most of which were later recovered through fighting.
In a strongly worded press release, the SSC-Khaatumo administration condemned the actions of Somaliland forces, accusing them of deliberately targeting civilians in the Erigabo and Goof districts. The statement brought attention to the killing of a local businessman, Salman Adan Abdi, in Erigabo on the night of August 26. The SSC claimed that Somaliland troops subsequently killed protesters in the Goof district who were demonstrating against the businessman’s death.
“The SSC-Khaatumo Administration will not tolerate the blatant aggressions occurring in Ceerigaabo, the warmongering provocations, and the aggressions from the Somaliland terrorists,” the administration declared in the press release issued by its Ministry of Information. The statement further alleged that the violence was incited by Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi during his recent visit to the region.
The SSC-Khaatumo administration expressed its determination to defend its territory against what it described as “blatant aggressions” by Somaliland forces. “We are monitoring the situation closely and will defend ourselves,” the statement emphasized.
