The Ga’an Libaah militia reportedly entered the village of Adadley (Somali: Cadaadley), situated 70 km from Hargeisa. Residents reported gunfire from the village, which is positioned in close proximity to the main highway connecting Hargeisa and Berbera. The incident occurred shortly after SSC-Khatumo forces chased away the Somaliland army from the Gooja’adde base near Las Anod.
Adadley, Marodi Jeh region, Somaliland, SOMALIA. By Yahya:
The incident marks one of the first instances when the Ga’an Libaah militia of the Garhajis clan entered the Marodi Jeh region. Hargeisa, the capital city of the self-proclaimed Somaliland, lies in the same region. In a previous incident earlier this month, the rebel group ambushed Somaliland officers in Go’da Yar, a village approximately 120 km from Somaliland’s capital.
Moreover, Bakayle Media reported yesterday that the commander of the 7th division of Somaliland’s army, Mahad Ambaashe, had gone missing along with ten vehicles on the outskirts of the Hingalol town in the Sanaag region.
Advancement towards the Ethiopian border
Earlier this month, the Garhajis militia appeared in Dabogoryaale, a village along the Somalia-Ethiopia border in Somaliland’s Togdheer region. Photos and videos emerged on social networks, showing the militiamen wayfaring the border town. The rebels reportedly stole two vehicles of the HALO Trust, a UK-based NGO providing life-saving services to the local population.
The Ga’an Libaah rebels overpowered the customs office and police station of the Dabogoryaale village, disarming local officers. The incident means the militia is probably operating in a 100km stretch from Iskudar town to the Ethiopian border. The group captured Iskudar at the end of July after heavy clashes with the Somaliland forces. Should the area of control expand this far, the Hargeisa government would face another serious security trouble, together with the one it meets in the Sool region.
Las Anod
On Friday morning, pictures and videos emerged on social media, showing SSC-Khatumo fighters capturing Somaliland soldiers and their critical Gooja’adde base. Other photos displayed the base’s interior, including a medical facility, proving that the SSC-Khatumo forces successfully overtook it.
The capture of Gooja’adde has been the most significant blow to the self-proclaimed government in Hargeisa since the conflict for the disputed city of Las Anod started.