Somalia: Renewed fighting leaves several dead in Las Anod

LAS ANOD, Somalia - Several people have died in Las Anod, a city in the northern part of Somalia, following renewed fighting between regional troops and separatists SSC-Khatumo forces, who are fighting to be governed from Mogadishu instead of Hargeisa, the regional administrative capital of Somaliland.

For the better part of Tuesday and Wednesday, sources said, the two parties confronted each other in Las Anod, leaving several people dead. The identities of those killed remain unknown, local authorities said, terming the situation as "fluid" and "tense".

Blame games have taken center stage, with SSC-Khatumo accusing Somaliland troops of igniting fighting, despite calls for ceasefire from stakeholders, who have been pushing for a truce. Several businesses remained closed as the teams battled for control of the city, authorities added.

Mohamed Abdi Ismail, the deputy leader of SSC-Khatumo forces, said Somaliland soldiers were directly responsible for the renewed fighting, noting that the troops suffered casualties in the process. According to him, the local militia is determined to drive out Somaliland troops from the Sool and Sanag regions.

The deputy leader of SSC-Khatumo forces asked his troops to continue fighting, adding that "you must be prepared to invest your lives and resources, as this is the righteous war upon which your future and honour hinge."

But Somaliland's Ministry of Defence accused Puntland regional troops of giving SSC-Khatumo forces reinforcement, leading to the deadly clashes. The ministry insisted that Puntland is behind the ongoing chaos in Las Anod, a disputed town between the two states.

Previously, Puntland and the federal government of Somalia have denied involvement in the Las Anod skirmishes, asking the affected parties to embrace dialogue. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has repeatedly called for peace between the two warring groups.

Somaliland has been defending the Sool and Sanag regions which were previously in Puntland, the neighboring state in Somalia. Generally, clans staying in Las Anod and Sool regions have been fighting against secession, calling for the renouncing of Somaliland's decision to declare self-independence.

GAROWE ONLINE