Galkayo (AX) — Puntland State security forces have taken nearly 130 soldiers and officers from Somalia’s federal government forces into custody in Galkayo, military officials said Monday.
Officials told local media that the troops were stopped in two military convoys after crossing from Galmudug into northern Galkayo, an area administered by Puntland State.
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A Puntland State military official said the group consisted of newly recruited troops who had received training in the Galgaduud region and were headed to Hananbuure, a federal government base in Galmudug.
The circumstances that led the troops into northern Galkayo have not been officially explained. However, security sources said the two vehicles may have veered off their planned route.
“The troops aboard the two vehicles totaled 130, comprising both soldiers and officers,” a Puntland State military official said.
The troops and the two vehicles remain under the control of Puntland State security forces in the Mudug region, officials said.
The detention comes as Puntland State and Somalia’s federal government remain locked in a political dispute, with the movement and deployment of military units continuing to rank among the most sensitive issues between them.
The federal government has yet to issue a statement, and the circumstances surrounding the troops’ detention have not been independently verified.
