| Battle of Las Qoray | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Somaliland–Puntland dispute | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Somaliland | |||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
The Battle of Laas Qoray occurred on 9 July 2008, amid the ongoing territorial disputes between Somaliland and Puntland. Somaliland troops invaded and occupied the Port town of Las Qoray,
citing a mission to rescue German citizens allegedly held hostage by pirates in the area. [1]
In June 2008, Somali pirates kidnapped four German nationals from Yemen and brought them to the vicinity of Laas Qoray. [2] The presence of hostages in the disputed region heightened tensions between Somaliland and Puntland, both of which sought to assert control over the area.
On 9 July 2008, Somaliland forces entered Laas Qoray, claiming their objective was to rescue the German hostages from pirate captivity. [1] The operation led to a temporary occupation of the port town. Puntland authorities viewed the incursion as a violation of their territorial integrity, exacerbating existing tensions between the two regions.
The German hostages were eventually released without a reported ransom. [3] The incident at Laas Qoray contributed to the ongoing territorial disputes and occasional clashes between Somaliland and Puntland over the Sanaag region.
Sool is a disputed administrative region (gobol). It borders Togdheer to the west, Sanaag to the north, Ethiopia to the south and Nugal, Bari to the east. Its capital city is Las Anod. The region is disputed by the self-declared Republic of Somaliland and SSC-Khatumo. The region is partially controlled by both polities.
Puntland, officially the Puntland State of Somalia, is an autonomous territory formed in 1998 that became a federal member state. Puntland is located in the northeastern part of Somalia and its state capital is the city of Garoowe in the Nugal region. The region had a population of 4,334,633 in 2016.
Las Anod is the administrative capital of the Sool region, currently controlled by Khatumo State forces aligned with Somalia.
Las Qoray is a historic coastal town in the Sanaag region of Somalia. It had the biggest factory of producing tuna fish since 1991.
The following is an index of Somalia-related articles.
The Ethiopian–Somali conflict is a territorial and political dispute between Ethiopia, Somalia, and insurgents in the area.
Maakhir, officially the Maakhir State of Somalia was a short-lived quasi-state in the Sanaag region of eastern Somalia formed in 2007. It rejoined Puntland in 2009.
The Puntland–Somaliland war is a ongoing war over the provinces of Sool, Sanaag and Cayn of Togdheer regions between the self-declared Republic of Somaliland and the Puntland state of Somalia.
Piracy off the coast of Somalia occurs in the Gulf of Aden, Guardafui Channel, and Somali Sea, in Somali territorial waters and other surrounding places and has a long troubled history with different perspectives from different communities. It was initially a threat to international fishing vessels during the early 2000s, only to rapidly escalate and expand to international shipping during the War in Somalia (2006–2009).
Dhahar is a town in the eastern Sanaag region, and the capital of the Dhahar District. Reuters reports Dhahar as a Puntland town in 2021, but also reports how it condemns President Puntland and supports President Somalia. Somali Broadcasting Corporation reports in 2019 that Dhahar is a town effectively controlled by Somaliland. One Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, an NHS Foundation Trust in England, researcher describes Dhahar as a district in Puntland in 2014.
The Puntland Maritime Police Force (PMPF) is a security force based in Puntland, an autonomous region in northeastern Somalia. As of May 2024, the PMPF had around 4800 personnel. The force is eventually expected to comprise 10,000 personnel.
Tukaraq is a small town in the eastern Sool region of Somalia. The town is located on the road between Las Anod and Garowe in Las Anod District. Khatumo State has had effective control there since 2023, but Puntland also has a territorial claim.
The Battle of Tukaraq in 2018 saw the Somaliland National Army engage Puntland forces in Tukaraq, a town in the eastern Sool region, on the road between the regional capitals of Las Anod and Garowe. The ensuing heavy clashes resulted in Somaliland ousting the Puntland army from the town. The battle was significant as it was the first time both forces clashed directly.
The Somaliland National Army, is the land force and largest branch of the Somaliland Armed Forces is based in the Somaliland capital of Hargeisa. The Somaliland National Army is composed entirely of professionals and volunteers because the army is not mandatory for conscription. Some Somaliland battalions operate near the Puntland border due to a border dispute.
The Las Anod conflict is an ongoing armed conflict between the Somaliland National Army and the Khaatumo SSC forces of the Dhulbahante clan around Las Anod, the capital of the Sool region.
Puntland, ,, officially the Puntland State of Somalia, Arabic: ولاية أرض البنط الصومالية), is a Federal Member State in northeastern Somalia. The Administrative Capital is Garowe in the Nugal region, and its leaders declared the territory an autonomous state in 1998. Geographically to the west, Puntland lays claim to the intra-46th meridian territories that were outside European colonial rule during parts of the Scramble for Africa period.
A constitutional crisis developed in Somalia when the Somali President, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, changed the Constitution of Somalia on April 30, 2024. The change was strongly opposed by the President of Puntland, Said Abdullahi Deni, and as a direct result, Puntland withdrew its recognition of the Federal Government of Somalia and declared itself an independent state based on Article 4 of the Puntland Constitution.
The 2010 Cayn Clashes involved an operation by Somaliland forces against the SSC militias in the Sool and Togdheer region of Somaliland. These engagements were part of a broader effort to stabilize the region ahead of the 2010 Somaliland presidential election.
The Battle of Booda-Cadde occurred on 18 July 2016, when forces from Puntland and Somaliland clashed in the Sanaag region of northern Somalia. The clash resulted in at least five soldiers being killed, including three Puntland soldiers and two high-ranking Somaliland officers. The battle was part of the broader ongoing conflict between Somaliland and Puntland over territorial disputes.
The Battle of Kalshaale was a series of clashes between Somaliland Forces and SSC militias from November 2010 to February 2011. The fighting occurred in the contested region of Kalshaale, near the town of Buuhoodle, as part of ongoing disputes over Somaliland's claim to the area.
