The Puntland administration announced that, effective today in the city of Badhan (Sanaag region), legal action will be taken against anyone seen carrying weapons or using military-style vehicles that do not belong to the official security forces.
 Fu’aad Xaanano, the State Minister for Security (Defense portfolio) of Puntland, stated that this decision emerged from a meeting addressing the security situation in Badhan following a recent incident in the city that left two people dead and three others injured.
 He stated that government forces have been ordered to apprehend anyone found in the city carrying weapons or operating military vehicles not belonging to the official security forces, noting that such individuals would be handed over to legal authorities.
 The State Minister also issued an appeal to the groups accused of entering the city and instigating the unrest, urging them to refrain from any actions that could lead to further clashes.
 He affirmed that government forces would carry out their constitutional duties, adding that this security measure is part of a pre-existing plan to address the recurring unrest in the city. Xaanano stated that once the situation in Badhan is stabilized, plans for the city’s development will be pursued, noting that recent events have placed the city in a critical situation that serves neither the public, Puntland, nor Somalia as a whole.
 The Puntland administration had previously warned against armed incidents in Badhan, amidst recurring tensions and clashes in the Sanaag region in recent times.
