After declaring a unilateral truce on Friday night, the government of Somaliland on Saturday morning accused SSC-Khatumo forces of attacking its army bases outside of Las Anod town.
In a statement on Saturday, Somaliland’s Ministry of Internal Affairs claimed that its troops had protected themselves in their camps.
Traditional elders claimed that Somaliland military had invaded the area and that their departure was the only way to bring about peace.
The 33-member group that organizes the Las Anod meeting’s spokesperson, Abdirisakh Mohamed Hassan, claims that the Somaliland government is using the ceasefire as a justification to begin new attacks.
After five days of skirmishes in the east of the territory, which health workers claim have resulted in the deaths of scores of people, the administration of Somaliland, a breakaway province of Somalia, announced late on Friday that it has agreed to an unconditional ceasefire.
After local officials said they intended to re-join federal Somalia, fierce combat broke out between Somaliland forces and militiamen in and around the town of Las Anod, the Sool region’s administrative center, on Monday.
Residents of the town reported that throughout the conflict, residences and medical facilities had been shelled, resulting in at least 58 deaths and several injuries.