Tuesday January 3, 2023
Garowe (HOL) - Residents of Las Anod town began to flee their homes on Sunday following the continued clashes between anti-government protesters and security forces in Las Anod, the administrative capital of the Sool region.
One of those who fled the town said they fled to villages in remote areas and lacked blankets and clothing.
"We arrived in a place called Dabaylwayn after the army bombarded the town with artillery and bullets," he explained.
Local media reported that the Somaliland government deployed additional security forces to the Las Anod to maintain the situation. Still, locals stated that the arrival of the new troops exacerbated the problem.
At least 20 people have been killed in Las Anod, a town in Somaliland's east disputed between breakaway Somaliland and Puntland, after clashes between anti-government protesters and security forces over several days.
The protests began on Tuesday in response to the local administration's failure to deal with assassinations after Abdifatah Abdullahi Abdi Hadrawi, a Wadani Party official, was shot dead on Monday after returning from the mosque. They also blame Somaliland forces for growing insecurity in the town, which has recently seen a spate of political assassinations.