Puntland Says It Has Regained Control after Bosaso-Area Operation As Security Tensions Deepen

GOOBJOOG NEWS | MOGADISHU: Puntland authorities say they have regained control of an area outside the port city of Bosaso following a security operation against what they described as an armed group, as tensions in the semi-autonomous region intensified after a series of separate security incidents.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Puntland administration said its forces had ended an armed standoff in the Laag area, on the outskirts of Bosaso, and accused the group of attempting to undermine the region’s security and stability.

The regional government also alleged that the group had received support from Somalia’s federal government, an accusation that Mogadishu has not publicly responded to.

Puntland said its forces seized military vehicles, a cache of weapons and detained several suspects during the operation, adding that security agencies were pursuing others believed to have fled the area.

The operation came hours after separate armed incidents were reported elsewhere in Puntland, highlighting growing security concerns in the region.

Residents and local media said fighters from the PSF and the Puntland Maritime Police Force (PMPF) exchanged gunfire in the coastal town of Hafun late on Monday, although the circumstances surrounding the clash remain unclear.

In the town of Qardho, gunmen opened fire on a hotel in a separate incident. Authorities have not identified those responsible or said whether there were any casualties.

No official death toll or injury figures have been released from the clashes in Laag, Hafun or Qardho, and security officials have yet to provide a comprehensive account of the incidents.

The incidents also unfold as Puntland continues military operations against Islamic State-linked militants in the Cal Miskaad mountain range, where regional forces have reported a series of gains in recent months, even as authorities contend with internal security challenges.