Wednesday September 11, 2024
Bosaso (HOL) — Puntland Security Forces (PSF) on Wednesday issued a warning to airlines using Bosaso Airport and ordered nearby residents to evacuate citing a dispute over airport management.
In a statement, the PSF accused the current airport administration of preventing wounded soldiers from using the facility and demanded that control be handed back to previous managers. The PSF insisted that the airport should be accessible to all Puntland people.
"We are warning the airlines not to use the Bosaso airport until it is returned to the old management, and it will be a place where all citizens can use together. The soldiers were wounded while serving their country," the PSF statement said.
The statement also described recent developments as a setback to efforts in the ongoing fight against al-Shabab, emphasizing that for the past three years, PSF personnel have been denied access to Bosaso Airport for landings and departures, including the use of the airport for wounded officers.
The warning comes amid heightened security tensions between the PSF and the Puntland Maritime Police Force (PMPF) in Bosaso. The friction escalated after a family member of the PMPF director was reportedly kidnapped in the coastal town.