DOOLOW, Somalia (Kaab TV) – Tensions have flared in Beled-Hawo district of Gedo region, where fighting broke out again yesterday [Monday] between forces of the Jubaland State and those loyal to Abdirashid Janan, backed by the Federal Government of Somalia.
At least six people, including two senior officers commanding the opposing sides, were killed, according to local officials and independent sources.
The number of wounded remains unknown.
Jubaland Vice President, Mahmoud Sayid Aden, said yesterday’s fighting was an attack on Jubaland forces stationed in the border village of Aamin.
“Our forces were attacked while in their positions. The federal government is responsible for launching this assault,” said Mahmoud Sayid Aden.
Jubaland troops withdrew from Beled-Hawo after the district was seized by forces led by Abdirashid Janan, recently appointed by Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) as head of security for Gedo region.
Colonel Hussein Giif, the Jubaland police commander in Gedo, and Jubaland officer Farhan Odowa were confirmed dead after being taken to a hospital in Mandera, Kenya.
The Federal Ministry of Defence reported that two of its own officers — Lieutenant Colonel Mohamed Hassan Guutaale and Private Ali Mohamed Gooni — were also killed in the clashes.
The federal government blamed the fighting on the Jubaland administration.
“The national army bravely repelled the attack,” the Ministry of Defence said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Abdirashid Janan, who commands the pro-federal government forces involved in the fighting, issued a warning to the Kenyan government, demanding the return of vehicles he claimed belong to Jubaland forces and had crossed into Kenya.
“We want the Kenyan security agencies to hand over to us the vehicles bearing Somalia’s emblem that crossed the border into Kenya,” said Janan, who has previously been accused of human rights violations.
It is unclear how Kenya will respond to the threat and the ongoing border conflict that has persisted for weeks, posing a risk to the security of Kenyan border areas.
Tense situation
Most residents of Beled-Hawo, a border town, have fled, seeking refuge in areas along the Ethiopian and Kenyan borders.
THREAT TO #KENYA: Somalia national security agency commander in-charge of #Gedo region, Abdirashid Abdinur Janan, has called Kenya authorities to surrender ‘vehicles’ with Somalia marking which he said were used by Jubaland forces and currently inside Kenya.
He said “Kenyan… pic.twitter.com/7YcDZHktri
— Kaab TV (@KaabTV) August 11, 2025
Reports indicate that both sides are mobilising weapons and reinforcements, raising fears of renewed fighting.
The conflict began in mid-last month when the federal government deployed troops from Mogadishu to Beled-Hawo and took control from the Jubaland-aligned district administration.
The ongoing clashes in Beled-Hawo are feared to affect other districts in the region, which are already facing a dire humanitarian situation affecting thousands of displaced people in various parts of Gedo.