DOLOW, Gedo (Kaab TV) – At least four people were killed and several others injured on Monday after Jubbaland forces clashed with recently deployed Somali federal government forces in Dolow town, Gedo region.
Jubbaland’s Security Minister, General Yusuf Hussein Dhumal, blamed the federal government forces for initiating the fighting.
In a press conference held in Dolow, General Dhumal stated that federal forces from Beledhawo town attacked Dolow early Monday in an attempt to arrest Jubbaland officials who had arrived from Kismayo by air.
“They began shooting in the city center. Several people were injured, businesses were closed, and residents started fleeing,” General Dhumal said.
According to Kaab TV’s local reporter, several hours of skirmishes led to Jubbaland forces regaining control of Dolow, a strategic border town with Ethiopia.
Several Somali federal forces were reportedly arrested, while the injured were taken to the hospital.
Meanwhile, a local NGO worker was reportedly kidnapped on Monday in Dolow. General Dhumal accused Somali federal forces of being behind the abduction.
Local residents told Kaab TV that Ethiopian troops stationed in Dolow as part of the African Union mission intervened to de-escalate the situation and helped end the fighting.
However, Jubbaland forces maintained control of the town.
Dolow is home to thousands of internally displaced people and has been a relatively peaceful base for several local and international humanitarian organizations.
The Gedo region remains in crisis as tensions between Jubbaland and the Somali federal government escalate into violent conflict.
Separately, a Jubbaland official in Baardheere town, Gedo region, accused the federal government of attempting to destabilize the area by arming local militias against Jubbaland state.
In a statement, however, the Somali federal government accused Ethiopian forces of supporting Jubbaland forces during the Dolow clashes. The Mogadishu administration reported that several Somali federal forces were killed and injured as a result of the fighting.