Puntland forces seize PSF headquarters after fierce fighting in Galkayo

Wednesday August 5, 2026

Galkacyo (HOL) — Puntland security forces seized the Puntland Security Force (PSF) headquarters on the eastern outskirts of Galkayo on Wednesday after hours of heavy fighting in the town.

Videos circulating on social media showed Puntland forces inside the PSF compound, claiming full control of the base after PSF fighters withdrew. Local sources said the retreating force left behind weapons, military vehicles and other equipment.

Puntland authorities said they captured several PSF officers during the operation, while other fighters surrendered. The regional police said 101 people were arrested, including Giijaale Abdi Baidoa, whom they identified as the PSF commander in Galkayo, along with other officers accused of assisting the Federal Government in registering recruits from the Mudug region.

The police also said 60 wounded individuals were taken into custody. Relatives would be allowed to take custody of the injured after completing security procedures, except in cases involving senior officers or suspects accused of serious crimes.

Authorities said the operation also resulted in the seizure of weapons, military vehicles and other equipment, including police uniforms, firearms, ammunition, handcuffs and boots. Puntland alleged that some of the recovered equipment was part of a Chinese government donation intended for the Somali Police Force.

The fighting, which began before dawn, caused casualties on both sides, although officials have not released an official death toll. Local residents and independent sources said civilians were also killed and wounded after mortar rounds and heavy gunfire struck residential neighborhoods.

Earlier Wednesday, witnesses reported intense exchanges of mortar fire and heavy machine-gun fire near Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed Airport as Puntland forces advanced on the PSF headquarters.

There has been no official response from the PSF, which has been aligned with Somalia's federal government, regarding the loss of its Galkayo base or Puntland's claims about arrests and captured equipment.

Hours after the fighting subsided, Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni called on all armed groups operating outside the regional government's command structure to surrender.

"All armed forces still stationed in various parts of Puntland should lay down their weapons and return to the rule of law," Deni said, warning that legal action would be taken against anyone who defied the orders of the security agencies. He added that further operations would be conducted if necessary to maintain security and public order.

The confrontation came a day after Puntland accused Somalia's federal government of deploying weapons and troops to Galkayo, alleging the move threatened the city's security. The federal government has not responded to those allegations.

The PSF was established in the early 2000s as an intelligence-led counterterrorism unit and played a key role in operations against al-Shabab and Islamic State militants in Puntland's Cal Madow and Cal Miskaad mountain ranges.

Relations between the force and President Deni's administration deteriorated after he took office in 2019, leading to deadly clashes in Bosaso in 2021. Although the two sides later reached an agreement intended to resolve the dispute, key provisions were never fully implemented, and Puntland has since maintained that the PSF no longer forms part of the state's official security structure.