Wednesday December 11, 2024
Mogadishu (HOL) – Intense fighting broke out early Wednesday morning between Somali federal military forces and Jubbaland regional forces near Raskamboni town in the Lower Jubba region, with both sides reportedly using heavy weaponry.
The clashes occurred in Manaraani, a rural area near Raskamboni, according to local residents. Casualty figures remain unconfirmed, and the federal government has yet to issue a statement addressing the conflict.
The Jubbaland administration accused federal troops of launching an attack on its military bases but claimed its forces repelled the offensive.
"Jubbaland government forces, in their efforts to defend themselves, inflicted a heavy defeat on the federal troops deployed from Mogadishu," read a statement from the Jubbaland regional government.
The statement also claimed that Jubbaland forces had seized defensive positions held by federal troops in the Raskamboni area, inflicting unspecified losses.
HOL has not independently verified these claims.
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom's Ambassador to Somalia, Mike Nithavrianakis, has called for immediate and inclusive dialogue to defuse the escalating tensions in Jubbaland. Speaking after a meeting with Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre in Mogadishu, the ambassador warned that continued unrest could undermine Somalia's fragile state-building efforts.