Clashes Flare-Up in Beled-Hawo as Federal and Jubbaland Forces Exchange Fire

GOOBJOOG NEWS|GEDO: Heavy fighting erupted on Monday morning on the outskirts of  Beled-Hawo in Somalia’s Gedo region, with government forces and troops loyal to the Jubbaland administration exchanging fire around the village of Tuulo Aamin. Local residents and journalists reporting from the area said the clash began after a build-up of pro-Jubbaland units that had recently been pushed out of the town.

Witnesses described convoys and armed men converging toward the border town, which lies close to the Kenyan frontier. The location has been a flashpoint in recent weeks as both sides reinforced positions and accused each other of provocations. Observers say control of Beled-Hawo carries strategic and political weight because of its location at the tri-border and its influence on local clan dynamics.

Federal officials and Jubbaland media issued competing statements on the fighting. Jubbaland claimed its forces had retaken parts of the district and captured several fighters aligned with federal units, while federal spokespeople accused Jubbaland leaders of orchestrating attacks to destabilize the region. Independent casualty figures are not available; some outlets report deaths and several wounded, and residents say many families are fleeing toward safer towns and across the border.

Several Somali outlets linked the clashes to the recent deployment of Abdirashid Janan, the federal government appointee tasked with security operations in Gedo, whose arrival in the area drew a heavy response from Jubbaland forces. Both sides have since been reported to be calling in reinforcements, raising fears that the standoff could widen.