Las Anod (HOL) - Las Anod Mayor Abdirahim Ali Ismail condemned Somaliland security services on Tuesday as fighting between Somaliland security and anti-government forces continued for the third consecutive day.
The Mayor and members of the Las Anod local council held a press conference outside Las Anod's general hospital where they blasted Somaliland authorities for labelling Las Anod residents as "terrorists."
"I am clarifying to the world, as the Mayor of Las Anod, that there are no terrorists fighting inside Las Anod. The people of Las Anod are fighting who are defending their lives and dignity," Mayor Abdirahim Ismail told the media.
"We are clarifying for the international community, IGAD, Arab League, United Nations and everyone who has humanity that In Las Anod, there is no fighting between terrorists and Somaliland forces. There is no fighting between Puntland and Somaliland. There is no fighting in Las Anod between the Federal Government of Somalia and Somaliland. The fighting that is happening is between the local people of Las Anod and the Somaliland forces who are taking notes from Muse Bihi Abdi."
"There is a genocide happening here."
The Mayor added that Las Anod had suffered heavy damage from indiscriminate shelling by the Somaliland forces.
"We confirm that the health centers, mosques, petrol stations and the homes of the civilians are being shelled. Yesterday, a mortar shell targeted the hospital, and a pregnant mother was injured. The mosques are on fire."
Mayor Abdirahim and the local council called on Somaliland authorities to pull their forces out of the region.
"Withdraw your forces. If not, then as long as a single person is alive from these territories, we will be fighting. If you don't withdraw your forces (Muse Bihi), I, the Mayor of Las Anod, will be leading the battle."
On Tuesday, Somaliland restated that its forces were battling against "terrorists."
In a statement published on Somaliland's Ministry of Internal Affairs Facebook page, authorities said extremist groups attacked the Somaliland military post in Las Anod for the third consecutive day.
According to reports, the fighting is said to be concentrated on the outskirt of the city. '
Somaliland also claimed that Puntland was assisting the anti-Somaliland government fighters, which Puntland vehemently denied.
Analysts expect that the security situation in Las Anod will remain precarious throughout the rest of February. They also expect further troop deployments to the area in the coming days and continued confrontations between local militia and Somaliland security. At least 58 people have been killed in two days of fighting, and dozens more have been seriously wounded.
The clashes came as traditional elders and leaders from the Sool, Sanaag, and Cayn (SSC) regions declared autonomy from Somaliland, which the Somaliland government rejected.