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 LAS ANOD, Somalia Oct 1 (Garowe Online) - Troops and clan militias supporting rival administrations in northern Somalia engaged in heavy battles Monday leading to at least 15 deaths on both sides, sources said.
The fighting erupted this morning in an area 10km north of Las Anod, capital of the disputed Sool region.
Soldiers and clan militias allied to the breakaway region of Somaliland, northwestern Somalia, fought against security forces from neighboring Puntland, a semiautonomous region in the country's northeast.
Both Somaliland and Puntland claim rights over Sool and Sanaag regions for different reasons and have fought many times since 2002.
Witnesses said Puntland forces were pushed back from their positions during the early hours of the battle. But Puntland troops gained armed reinforcements from Garowe, the region's capital, and were able to advance on Somaliland positions.
An accident killed at least four Puntland soldiers inside Las Anod town when two armed trucks rushing to the frontline collided into each other at full speed, witnesses reported.
More than 20 wounded people, mostly soldiers, were admitted to local hospitals for medical treatment.
Earlier today, Pro-Puntland clan militias killed a Las Anod businessman named Jamal Ahmed Mohamed. Local sources said Jamal belonged to a pro-Somaliland area sub-clan.
There was no official word from either the Puntland or Somaliland administration. But military commanders blamed the opposite side for sparking today's deadly battle.
Many Las Anod residents have been fleeing the town over the past two days as the rival sides built up military forces along their frontier.
The situation in Las Anod today was a mixture of confusion and a sense that no group was in control. A local journalist confirmed to Garowe Online that Somaliland troops and allied local clan fighters had effectively taken control of the northern checkpoint in Las Anod.
Puntland troops and supporting militias had withdrawn to the southern part of town for defensive purposes, according to a commander in Garowe who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The latest reports indicate that both sides are getting soldiers and armored trucks from Garowe and Hargeisa, capital of Somaliland region. Residents fear the war will continue.
Somalia's interim government, based in the south, is fighting for its survival in Mogadishu against a violent insurgency and is largely unable to influence developments in the north. Source: Garowe Online
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