Dozens killed in Somaliland clashes
A file photo of Somalis helping a civilian wounded by mortar shrapnel during clashes in the war-ravaged country
At least 32 people have been killed and 35 others wounded in clashes between militias and troops from the self-declared republic of Somaliland.
Fresh clashes broke out in Somaliland's town of Buhodle on Sunday where the area's troops launched a heavy attack on local clan militias, a Press TV correspondent reported.
Fifteen of the victims are said to have been Somaliland troops.
Meanwhile, the warring sides have set fire to two small districts near Buhodle, namely Hagogan and Maygag districts, forcing hundreds of civilians to flee the region.
The Somaliland troops have also managed to capture more bases from rebels in Buhodle in Somaliland's province of Togdheer.
According to locals, scores of civilians have been killed and many others injured in the ongoing battle.
Somaliland, situated in northwestern Somalia, unilaterally declared independence from the rest of Horn Africa country in 1991.
Somalia has not had a functioning government since 1991, when warlords overthrew former dictator Mohamed Siad Barre.
The Somali government has struggled for years to restore security, but efforts have not yet yielded results in the Horn of Africa nation.
Up to one million people have lost their lives following years of fighting between rival warlords and because of an inability to deal with famine and disease.
There are more than 1.4 million internally displaced people (IDPs) in Somalia. More than 300,000 IDPs are sheltering in Mogadishu alone.
Most of the displaced live in squalid conditions at makeshift sites in southern and central Somalia, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
GHN/HRF
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