Security was extra tight on Saturday in the self-proclaimed capital of Somalia's separatist republic of Somaliland as a British intelligence delegation arrived, Radio Garowe reports.

Somaliland intelligence chief Mohamed Nur was part of the delegation, which flew into Hargeisa from the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

Police and military units setup checkpoints and were patrolling roads near the Somaliland presidential palace, local sources reported.

It was not immediately clear why the British intelligence officers arrived in Hargeisa, but Somaliland sources said the British government is interested in "monitoring" the movements of insurgent groups based in southern Somalia.

Other reports said the British officers are inspecting a new intelligence facility funded British security services who seek ground access to monitor insurgent groups like Al Shabaab, blamed for last weeks' Uganda bombings that killed more than 70 people.

The Horn of Africa sub-region has become a key player in the Western-led drive to fight against Al Qaeda and its affiliates, like Al Shabaab in Somalia.

Somaliland, in northwest Somalia, unilaterally declared independence from the rest of the country in 1991 but has not been recognized internationally.

GAROWE ONLINE