The front man of the region’s military, Abdi Abdillahi Hassan Abdidhere declared on Sunday that Somaliland has run out of patience and will attack the rival forces.
"Somaliland has been patient as long as it could. We have been folding our hands a lot, so now it time to come out of our bases and recapture Las Anod" said Abdidhere.
He sent a warning to Puntland
...a region in northeastern Somalia, centered on Garowe in the Nugaal province. Its leaders declared the territory an autonomous state in 1998. Puntland and the equally autonomous Somaliland seem to have avoided the clan rivalries and warlordism that have typified the rest of Somalia, which puts both places high on the list for Islamic subversion...
troops in Lasanod and said they will pay the price for invading Somaliland, signaling new war between the two competing regional states.
He said that al-Shabaab
...... the Islamic version of the old Somali warlord...is in the city and fighting along the SSC and Puntland soldiers, a claim that all sides have similarly rejected as baseless propaganda.
It is the first time that Somaliland has officially announced that it is going to launch offensive after having declared a ceasefire several times since losing Las Anod in January.
The U.N. Security Council last month called for a de-escalation of the conflict in Las Anod, but all calls for calm have gone unheeded as both sides continued exchanging heavy fire.
Tensions continue to rise in the region as heavy fighting erupted yesterday in Laascaanood, resulting in numerous casualties and injuries, according to credible sources who spoke to Garowe Online. Somaliland forces reportedly attacked the city, while SSC forces defended themselves against the attack, leading to a prolonged battle that lasted until dusk.
The exact number of casualties from both sides remains unknown; however, there are reports of shelling by Somaliland forces on the city, causing civilian deaths. In response to the conflict, the Somaliland administration has released a statement indicating that their forces will carry out attacks, effectively putting the recently announced ceasefire by President Muse Bihi Abdi into the end.
The ongoing conflict between the inhabitants of the SSC regions and Somaliland has resulted in over 500 deaths and the displacement of approximately 200,000 people from the Sool regional capital.