HARGEISA (Kaab TV) – More than ten people were killed, and dozens injured on Wednesday following intense fighting in Da’awaley village, located along the Ethiopian-Somaliland border.
The clashes involved clan militias and regional state forces, escalating tensions in the disputed area.
Local sources report that Somali Regional State Liyu Police, in collaboration with Ogaden clan militia, launched an early morning attack on Da’awaley, targeting Isaaq/Arab clan militia.
The violence resulted in the deaths of civilians, including clan elders and children, according to Somaliland officials.
The Somaliland Minister of Internal Security, Abdalle Mohamed Arab, condemned the attack in strong terms, calling it a “massacre.”
Speaking on behalf of the Somaliland government, he accused the Liyu Police of indiscriminately targeting innocent civilians, primarily pastoralists, in an act he described as a blatant violation of human rights and governance principles.
“In addition to the massacre, the Liyu Police abducted traditional elders from Somaliland who had traveled to Da’awaley to mediate and resolve the ongoing conflicts peacefully.
This abduction is a grave offense and a clear violation of international norms,” the Somaliland government said in a statement.
Minister Arab called for accountability for the violence, emphasizing that those responsible must face justice.
Photos circulating on social media appear to show homes burned and looted as residents fled the area.
While Somali Regional State officials have yet to comment, the state’s police commission recently claimed in a statement that their forces had been attacked by “terrorist groups.”
Local media reports indicate that Ethiopian authorities have closed the border as the violence continues to spread.
The fighting in Da’awaley stems from a land dispute between the Ogaden/Darood and Isaaq/Arab clans, both of which claim ownership of rural villages in the contested region.