BOSASO — Authorities in Somalia’s Puntland region said on Tuesday they had completed a security operation following clashes with the Puntland Security Force (PSF), an elite counterterrorism unit that the regional administration says is supported by Somalia’s federal government.
The fighting broke out near the village of Laag, outside the port city of Bosaso, where Puntland forces and PSF fighters exchanged fire. Residents said Puntland troops captured several military vehicles after PSF personnel withdrew from the area.
Puntland state media broadcast footage of vehicles, weapons and detainees, saying they were seized during the operation. The regional authorities said in a statement that the campaign targeted armed groups seeking to threaten security in Puntland.
Puntland accused Somalia’s federal government of backing the PSF during the clashes, but the federal government and the force had not issued public comments on the allegation.
Health officials said at least one PSF soldier was killed in the fighting near Laag.
Further clashes linked to the dispute were reported in Hafun district along Puntland’s coast, where local sources said one soldier was killed, three others were wounded and a military vehicle was destroyed.
The violence highlights renewed tensions between Puntland authorities and the PSF, a force that has played a key role in counterterrorism operations in the region. The dispute comes amid broader political strains between Puntland and Somalia’s federal government over security control and authority.
