Tuesday August 12, 2025
Mogadishu (HOL) — Somalia’s defense ministry has accused forces loyal to Jubbaland President Ahmed Madobe of launching attacks on army positions in the Gedo region, triggering deadly clashes on Monday that left multiple soldiers dead, including a senior Jubbaland police commander.
In a statement, the ministry said fighting erupted in Tuulo Aamin, near Balad Hawo airfield, after Jubbaland forces under Madobe’s command attacked Somali National Army (SNA) positions. The clashes left two SNA soldiers dead — identified as Mohamed Hassan Guutaale and Dable Ali Muxumed Gooni — and three others wounded. The injured soldiers are being treated in medical facilities.
Among those killed in the clashes was Colonel Hussein Giif, Jubbaland’s police commander in Gedo, according to multiple security sources. Jubbaland’s minister of internal security later confirmed the commander’s death and condemned the killing, blaming federal forces and calling for justice.
The renewed hostilities underscore the deep rift between Mogadishu and the semi-autonomous Jubbaland administration, whose forces have clashed repeatedly with federal troops over control of the strategic Gedo region along Somalia’s border with Kenya.