At least one Puntland Security Force soldier was killed on Sunday after gunfire erupted between PSF troops and Puntland's Dervish forces in the Madar-Jiif area, between the town of Laag and the port city of Bosaso, according to security sources.
The clash began when PSF troops reportedly tried to force their way through a checkpoint on the road into the city, prompting Dervish forces to block the convoy and exchange heavy weapons fire.
The confrontation is the latest flashpoint in a long-running dispute over who commands Somalia's security forces, and it comes as Puntland's relationship with the federal government in Mogadishu grows increasingly strained.
With Bosaso serving as Puntland's main commercial port, any prolonged instability threatens trade, transport and humanitarian supply lines running through the region.
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Puntland authorities moved quickly to reinforce the city following the clash. Police Commissioner Muumin Cabdi Shire left Garowe with a convoy of at least 18 armed vehicles bound for Bosaso, security officials said.
Additional troops have since been deployed to the Maqaska area, which controls a main route to Bosaso Airport, and along Soddonka Road, one of the city's principal transport corridors.
Residents reported increased military activity through the day as reinforcements arrived and positions were expanded.
At the center of the standoff is a dispute over command and control of armed forces operating in Puntland. Regional authorities have accused the PSF of answering to Somalia's federal government rather than Garowe, an allegation Mogadishu has not addressed publicly.
According to a separate report from Hiiraan Online, a related standoff in the same area was defused after Puntland Dervish Command and PSF officials agreed that PSF forces would return to Bosaso, easing tensions for now.
The PSF was originally established as a specialized counter-terrorism unit, trained with international backing to conduct operations against militant groups including al-Shabaab and ISIS. Its relationship with Puntland's administration has deteriorated since President Said Abdullahi Deni took office in 2019, with previous disputes over command structure resulting in armed confrontations, including a standoff over control of Bosaso Airport in 2024.
The latest incident also unfolds against a backdrop of financial strain in Puntland, which is facing a 32.4% budget shortfall for 2026, and a wider political rift with Mogadishu after the federal government's move to end port agreements involving the UAE.
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Neither the Puntland government nor Somalia's federal government had issued an official statement as of Monday evening. Security observers say the situation remains fluid, with both sides maintaining reinforced positions near strategic routes into Bosaso.
