GAROWE (KAAB TV) – The Puntland government has detained several soldiers and army officers involved in recent clashes in the Calmiskaad Mountains, located in the Bari region of northeastern Somalia.
According to security sources, those arrested in Garowe include both enlisted personnel and officers who were allegedly part of an unofficial military force that operated outside the formal Puntland command structure.
These individuals are accused of disarming fighters in Calmiskaad without authorization, a move that has raised significant concern among Puntland’s security leadership.
The detained group was reportedly under the command of a former Puntland army officer who now leads a community-based militia.
While these forces were once part of the official army, they have since broken away and are now functioning independently under local leadership.
This development follows a broader trend seen during Puntland’s battle against ISIS in the mountainous areas of Bari.
During that campaign, numerous weapons fell into the hands of local fighters. Puntland authorities have consistently emphasized that military equipment captured from ISIS (Daesh) should be returned to the state and not retained by individual fighters or factions.
Tensions have grown in recent weeks, particularly after the police commander in Bari publicly criticized the so-called “community forces” for interfering with official peacekeeping operations.
The commander accused these groups of establishing unauthorized checkpoints, refusing orders, and refusing to surrender arms – behaviors that undermine both public security and military discipline.
These events come at a critical time, as Puntland’s latest peacekeeping mission in the region officially concluded.
Many soldiers and units that participated in the mission are now returning to their home areas, raising concerns about the potential fragmentation of armed groups and the risk of future instability.
Puntland officials have yet to release a formal statement detailing the charges against those arrested, but sources within the security sector confirm that investigations are ongoing.
The government is expected to take further steps to ensure that all armed actors within its territory operate under a unified and accountable command structure.