Breaking News: Khaatumo Militia Launches Attack on Rural Village in Sanaag Region

Erigavo, April 17, 2025 — Somaliland.com – Armed militants from the Khaatumo militia group today launched an attack on a rural villages of Dhoob and Biyoguduud, located in the Erigavo District of the Sanaag Region. The assault, which targeted local pastoralist families and their herds of livestock, was swiftly repelled by the Somaliland National Army, which has since secured the area.

Though casualties remain unconfirmed, local sources and eyewitnesses described the attackers as heavily armed and arriving from the direction of Fiqi-Fuliye of southern Erigavo district, the last presence of the Khaatumo group, that claims to govern parts of Somaliland’s Sool Region.

This latest act of aggression is being linked directly to the recent visit of Somalia’s Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre to the city of Las’anod on April 12. The visit, which was widely condemned by the Somaliland Government as a violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

In a statement released earlier this week, President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdilahi “Irro” accused the Somali Federal Government of provoking conflict by backing groups that undermine Somaliland’s stability. Today’s attack appears to be the first major consequence of that visit, with the Khaatumo militia emboldened to expand its activities beyond Eastern Sool and into Sanaag.

Somaliland believes that this dangerous escalation of tensions is fueled by Mogadishu. And the attack on Dhoob comes amid a broader political crisis engulfing the neighboring Somalia. While the Somalia leadership in Mogadishu has focused on controversial election preparations and interventions in Somaliland’s affairs, its own house remains in disarray. Key federal member states such as Puntland and Jubbaland have distanced themselves from the federal electoral process, and militant group Al-Shabaab has seized the opportunity to retake strategic towns such as Adan Yabaal and to launch attacks on cities like Baidoa in South West State.

In contrast, Somaliland, which regained its independence in 1991, has remained relatively stable, with fully functioning institutions and a history of peaceful transitions of power. However, the visit by PM Barre to Las’anod and today’s armed incursion into Sanaag represent a serious threat to that stability.

The Somaliland government is expected to brief international partners and regional stakeholders about the implications of the attack and the deteriorating situation caused by Somalia’s interference.

The attack on Dhoob marks a turning point in the simmering standoff between Somaliland and the Khaatumo-aligned militias in eastern Sool. It also exposes the risks of external provocation in a region that has worked hard to maintain peace and governance in the absence of international recognition.

Somaliland.com will continue to monitor developments closely and provide updates as more information becomes available.