By M.A. Egge
People in Buq-darkayn area dealt a heavy blow to insurgency groups who attacked a livestock camp on Friday and the government warns of serious consequences would abound.
The government of the Republic of Somaliland has on Friday evening warned that it would no longer tolerate blind perpetrations of attacks against its people and degrading security.
At the same time the state reiterated its stance of solving issues of conflicts through peaceful and conciliatory means.
The statement comes as once again a new spate of careless, blatant and reckless attack was meted against the pastoralists herding their livestock in the Buq-darkayn area of Saraar region hence ambushed on Friday by armed Khatumo militia bandits who wanted to, again, rob and harm the pastoralists.
This recent attack against pastoralists in typically similar fashion happens for the umpteenth time in recent months, at a time that the government is focused on peaceful reconciliations and reformation of the security arms of the forces.
As abhor-able as the timing of the attack may be, the local residents did their best and repulsed the attack in a battle whose fighting went on for much of the sacred day of the first Friday in the Holy Month of Ramadan.
They managed to contain the attacks and repelled the marauding attackers to further areas afield. They not only defended themselves from the attack but dealt a heavy blow to the group that carried out the attack, driving them back to where they had come from.
The Somaliland government, which issued a statement about the fighting that lasted for many hours, warned of the consequences of the insecurity and conflict being fueled by armed groups in the Sool region in a press release issued by the Ministry of Interior and National Security, signed by the Ministry’s Spokesperson Bashir Abdi Abdillahi.
The press release stated that the Somaliland government would no longer tolerate such ambushes carried out by the armed militias as per their whims.
“Armed militias that are allied to Khatumo insurgency have attacked civilians who are collecting water at their wells in the Buqdarkayn area; with the intent of rustling the livestock that were being watered.
“The residents have fiercely defended themselves against the ambushes that the armed groups launched against them, inflicting heavy losses.
“The Somaliland government informs the regional governments and the international community that the armed groups that dubbed Khatumo are a threat to the security of the region, and the Somaliland government will not tolerate the ambushes they are carrying out.
“Whereas we are dismayed and saddened that Firdiye uses the Holy month of Ramadan as a means for political mileage, shedding blood, and creating conflict among the brethren living together, the Somaliland government is ready to have peaceful coexistence fostered in the region”. END.
Meanwhile, the latest news from the area where the fighting took place said that apart from the attackers being driven out, they suffered heavy casualties, with several prisoners and their military equipment and armoured vehicles captured.