Some of the SNA soldiers were at the Kenya-Somalia border. HANDOUT
Dozens of Somalia Federal government soldiers were disarmed after fleeing and surrendering to Kenyan security officials at a border point in Ishiakani town on Wednesday, officials said.
The fleeing soldiers had clashed with those of Jubaland
forces in the Raskamboni camp.
Officials said at least 300 soldiers had surrendered by Wednesday
evening amid tensions.
Kenya is monitoring the situation amid a push for talks between
Mogadishu and Kismayu to quell the tensions, officials said.
The drama broke out on Wednesday, December 11
morning and escalated with the exchange of fire between the two forces.
Witnesses said several other troops from the
Somali National Army were captured by those of Jubaland after surrendering at
their camp.
The Jubaland troops also took over the camp and
set on fire some of the vehicles that were there.
Dozens of SNA soldiers were photographed seeking
refuge at a site manned by the Kenyan security agencies at the Ishiakani border
town in Kenya amid ongoing armed clashes at the Raskamboni area between federal
government troops and Jubaland regional forces.
More security officials were moved to the
Kenya-Somalia border to address the crisis building out of the clashes,
officials said.
The officials said they anticipated refugees to
flock in using the Ishiakani border. This is after some villagers also fled
their homes in fear of being caught up in the clashes.
Senior Jubaland officials said 240 federal
soldiers have surrendered to Jubaland forces, further consolidating their
control in the area.
The development coincided with Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud holding a meeting with Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed in Turkey.
Federal troops, recently airlifted from
Mogadishu, reportedly deployed drones in the conflict.
In a statement on Wednesday afternoon, Somalia's
Defence Ministry said the Raskamboni clashes "severely undermine national
security and represent a betrayal of Somalia’s sovereignty".
The ministry vowed, "all those involved in
these subversive acts would face severe legal punishment".
At a press conference in Kismayu, Jubaland’s Deputy Security Minister, General Adan Xaji said the drones used by the Somali government against Jubaland forces will be exposed, including the countries that supplied them.
“It is deeply regrettable that these resources,
meant to protect Somalia from external enemies, are being used against its own
people."
Officials fear the tension and confrontation may
be worse in the coming days.
The clashes were sparked by contentious elections in the federal state with Mogadishu disputing the exercise that saw Ahmed Madobe reelected.
The federal government accuses Madobe of being unable to
address the al-Shabaab menace in the region.
