Sunday July 9, 2023
Las Anod (HOL) - Several people were killed in a mortar attack and clashes between SCC forces and the Somali army in the disputed town of Las Anod on Saturday.
According to residents, two mortar shells struck a tea restaurant and the laboratory section of the main hospital in the city, resulting in casualties. However, local officials have not provided details regarding the number of casualties.
The traditional elders from the Sool, Sanaag, and Ayn regions, collectively known as SCC, have accused the Somaliland army of carrying out the mortar attack on Las Anod. However, there has been no response from Somaliland regarding these allegations.
The SCC elders also reported heavy fighting on the town's outskirts, involving heavy artillery.
Since February 6, clashes have been ongoing in the disputed city of Las Anod between forces from the self-declared state of Somaliland and local militia aligned with the Dhulbahante clan in northern Somalia.
According to information from hospitals in Las Anod, the death toll currently stands at 299, with 1,913 injured and over 200,000 displaced since the start of the conflict.