Hargeisa — The breakaway Somaliland military said that they will carry out an all-out offensive against the SSC-Khatumo forces to retake control of the town of Lasanod.

The spokesman of the region's military, Abdi Abdillahi Hassan Abdidhere declared on Sunday that Somaliland has run out of patience and will attack the rival forces.

"Somaliland has been patient as long as it could. We have been folding our hands a lot, so now it time to come out of our bases and recapture Las Anod" said Abdidhere.

He sent a warning to Puntland troops in Lasanod and said they will pay the price for invading Somaliland, signaling new war between the two competing regional states.

He said that Al-Shabaab is in the city and fighting along the SSC and Puntland soldiers, a claim that all sides have similarly rejected as baseless propaganda.

It is the first time that Somaliland has officially announced that it is going to launch offensive after having declared a ceasefire several times since losing Las Anod in January.

The U.N. Security Council last month called for a de-escalation of the conflict in Las Anod, but all calls for calm have gone unheeded as both sides continued exchanging heavy fire.

More than 200 people were killed in the fighting with doctors in the northern city saying most of the victims are civilians while thousands fled from their houses to escape the fire.