Wednesday August 5, 2026
Heavy fighting broke out before dawn Wednesday in eastern Galkayo between Puntland State’s regional security forces and the Puntland State Security Force (PSF), reviving fears that the semi-autonomous state could slide into another internal conflict.
Witnesses reported exchanges of mortar rounds and heavy machine-gun fire near Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed Airport. Puntland State government forces were also said to have shelled the PSF headquarters.
An independent journalist in Galkayo said stray fire killed at least one civilian and wounded two others during the clashes. Local sources said about five soldiers from the opposing forces were taken to hospital with injuries.
Despite the intensity of the bombardment, there were no immediate reports of direct ground assaults by either side.
By Wednesday morning, neither the Puntland State administration nor Somalia’s federal government had released an official statement on the fighting.
The latest violence follows weeks of rising tension between Puntland State authorities and the PSF. The sides have previously clashed, with both accusing the other of triggering the confrontation.
Fears of a broader conflict have grown after Puntland State reportedly sent additional troops to the area. Somalia’s federal government, meanwhile, accused the regional administration of mobilizing weapons and forces.
Religious leaders, elders and politicians in Puntland State voiced concern about the worsening security situation and called on both sides to show restraint. They urged the rivals to settle their differences through dialogue and prevent further loss of life.
The PSF, which has declared its allegiance to Somalia’s federal government, was established in the early 2000s as an intelligence-led counterterrorism unit. It played a central role in Puntland State operations against al-Shabab and Islamic State militants in the Cal Madow and Cal Miskaad mountain ranges.
Tensions between the PSF and the administration of Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni intensified after he took office in 2019, leading to deadly clashes in Bosaso in 2021. The two sides later reached an agreement intended to resolve the dispute, but key provisions were never fully carried out. Puntland State authorities have since insisted that the PSF no longer forms part of the state’s official security structure.
