BOOCAME, Somalia – The North Eastern state Somalia administration has accused the Puntland government of carrying out an armed attack on the Boocame district in Sool region, according to an official statement released Friday.
The statement said a clash erupted in Boocame on Thursday afternoon, causing injuries, and alleged that the purpose of the operation was “to create security disruption in the town,” according to Boocame district commissioner Mahdi Rashaad.
So far, Puntland authorities have not responded to the accusations from North East Somalia. Boocame is the hometown of Puntland’s Vice President, Ilyas Lugatoor, who has previously stated that the district is part of Puntland.
Puntland had earlier prevented voter registration from taking place in Boocame, located 70 km from Garowe, as part of Somalia’s federal elections being conducted in North East Somalia territories.
The incident highlights rising tensions over territorial boundaries between Puntland and the North East administration, posing potential risks to regional security in Sool.
