Recently, units of Somaliland’s specially trained troops returned to the capital city of Hargeisa after completing a high-level military training in Tel Aviv, as reported by the Telegraph newspaper. According to security sources, 50 soldiers from these units attended the training and have now returned to Hargeisa. This development highlights the growing military partnership between Israel and Somaliland. Last week, a covert ceremony was held in Hargeisa where Somaliland’s President, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi Irro, welcomed a high-level Israeli delegation to attend the 18 May National Day commemorations. During the meeting at the Presidential Palace, the Israeli delegation presented a gift to President Irro as a symbol of the strengthening partnership in the area of security. Reports suggest that the gift was air defense equipment, specifically the Iron Dome, which Israel intends to provide to Somaliland for protection against potential missile attacks from the Houthis in Yemen. The report also mentions discussions about Israel’s Iron Dome air defense technology during the meeting. Sources quoted in the report state that this move is aimed at enhancing Somaliland’s defenses against potential missile threats from Yemen and could potentially lead to broader Israeli security involvement in the strategic port city of Berbera. However, neither Israeli nor Somaliland government officials have publicly confirmed the details of this reported military cooperation.
