Reports in the Adwal region indicate that heavy fighting has broken out in the Indho-Biraale area of the Saylac district. Local sources have reported that the Somaliland army launched attacks on Wednesday morning, leading to an exchange with the local residents.

Heavy gun fire, including anti-aircraft guns, has been had in the wooded terrain of Indho-Biraale. The conflict appears to be a direct conflict between the state military and civilian militias, and the local leaders have characterized the army movement as unprovoked aggression towards the population who claim ancestral ownership of the land.

Local analysts claim the current attack is by design from the Somaliland administration, who are forcefully seeking to shift the balance of power in the Adwal region.

The military intervention has also been alleged to be an attempt to tactically support groups from the Borama area; tensions between clans in the Awdal region have been ongoing for months.

The grievances have been linked to an equal representation of political seats in Hargesia’s administrative power.
Territorial control over disputes of grazing lands and coastal access to the Saylac corridor, the local residents have also accused the government of weaponizing the Somaliland army to settle tribal scores and suppress dissent in the communities.