On Saturday, forces of the local tribes in Sool region took control of a Somaliland military base in the city of Las Anod.
This military base was occupied by Somaliland troops from the Sool region, who had not previously participated in the fighting in the city of Las Anod in the past three weeks.
In the past few days, the traditional leaders of Sool have been trying to get the forces from the region to defect to the armed forces of SSC who are at war with the separatist administration of Somaliland, but the effort was said to have failed.
The SSC forces took control of the military base this morning after a battle that lasted for a few hours. The Somaliland forces left some of their heavy weapons such as tanks and anti-aircraft guns there.
The violence erupted on 6th of February after elders in the Sool region, issued a statement pledging support for Somalia’s federal government and urged Somaliland authorities to withdraw their soldiers from the area.
Somaliland is a former British protectorate in northwestern Somalia that declared independence in 1991 but has received no international recognition.
The fighting has already forced more than 185,000 people to flee their homes and seek safety.
Horseed Media.
