Wednesday August 5, 2026
Galkacyo (AX) — Puntland State security forces took control of the Puntland State Security Force (PSF) headquarters on Galkayo’s eastern outskirts Wednesday, following hours of intense fighting in the town.
Footage shared on social media appeared to show Puntland State troops inside the PSF compound, declaring that they had secured the base after PSF fighters pulled out. Local sources said the withdrawing forces left weapons, military vehicles and other equipment behind.
Puntland State authorities said several PSF officers were captured during the assault, while other fighters surrendered. Regional police said 101 people had been arrested, including Giijaale Abdi Baidoa, whom they named as the PSF commander in Galkayo, as well as other officers accused of helping the Federal Government register recruits from the Mudug region.
Police said 60 wounded people were also detained. Relatives would be permitted to take the injured into their care after completing security procedures, except when those involved were senior officers or suspects in serious crimes.
Officials said the operation yielded weapons, military vehicles and other supplies, including police uniforms, firearms, ammunition, handcuffs and boots. Puntland State also alleged that some of the seized items came from a Chinese government donation designated for the Somali Police Force.
The clashes began before dawn and caused casualties among both sides, though officials have not provided an official death toll. Residents and independent sources said civilians were among those killed and wounded after mortar shells and heavy gunfire hit residential areas.
Witnesses earlier Wednesday described heavy mortar exchanges and machine-gun fire near Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed Airport as Puntland State forces moved toward the PSF headquarters.
The PSF, which has been aligned with Somalia’s federal government, has not issued an official statement on the loss of its Galkayo base or Puntland State’s claims of arrests and seized equipment.
Several hours after the fighting ended, Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni ordered armed groups operating outside the regional government’s command to surrender.
“All armed forces still stationed in various parts of Puntland State should lay down their weapons and return to the rule of law,” Deni said, warning that anyone who defied orders from security agencies would face legal action. He said additional operations would be launched if needed to protect security and public order.
The confrontation followed Puntland State’s accusation a day earlier that Somalia’s federal government had sent weapons and troops to Galkayo, a move the regional administration said endangered the city’s security. The federal government has not responded to the claim.
Established in the early 2000s, the PSF is an intelligence-led counterterrorism force that played a major role in campaigns against al-Shabab and Islamic State militants in Puntland State’s Cal Madow and Cal Miskaad mountain ranges.
Tensions between the force and President Deni’s administration escalated after he assumed office in 2019, culminating in deadly clashes in Bosaso in 2021. The two sides later reached an agreement aimed at settling the dispute, but key parts were never fully carried out. Puntland State has since maintained that the PSF is no longer part of the state’s official security structure.
