On Saturday morning, Puntland security forces launched a raid on soldiers who had staged a mutiny due to lack of salaries. These soldiers had blocked the road connecting Bosaso and Qardho townships since yesterday. The armed confrontation lasted for several hours, and Puntland security forces successfully managed to reopen the road. The soldiers who had expressed their grievances fled from the area, where they had been staying for the past 24 hours. Initial reports indicate that at least one soldier among those who staged the mutiny sustained injuries. The reopening of the road allowed traffic to resume, as passengers had been stranded on both sides of the road due to the soldiers’ blockade. It is common for soldiers in Puntland to express their grievances over lack of pay, often by blocking roads in order to pressure the authorities to respond. However, this is the first time that Puntland security forces have intervened and used force to remove the soldiers from the area. According to Bari regional authorities, the soldiers who blocked the road were armed clan soldiers who had participated in operations in the Al-Miskaad Mountains. Regional officials stated that these troops were supposed to undergo military training in order to be absorbed into the security forces, but they refused to attend the training, which sparked the dispute.
