#ALERT: Gunfire Erupts at Central Police Station in Garowe, Puntland.
— Baidoa Online (@BaidoaOnline) January 16, 2026
Fighters from the Duufaan force have taken control of the central police station in Garowe following a violent exchange of gunfire that erupted earlier tonight, leaving three Duufaan officers injured.
The… pic.twitter.com/zq9KzddOty
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Fighters from the Duufaan force have taken control of the central police station in Garowe following a violent exchange of gunfire that erupted earlier tonight, leaving three Duufaan officers injured.
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| Hiraan Online adds: |
The attack, which involved the use of both light and heavy weapons, was carried out by soldiers from the Duufaan Brigade, a Puntland
...a region in northeastern Somalia, centered on Garowe in the Nugaal province. Its leaders declared the territory an autonomous state in 1998. Puntland and the equally autonomous Somaliland seem to have avoided the clan rivalries and warlordism that have typified the rest of Somalia, which puts both places high on the list for Islamic subversion...
force that recently returned to Garowe following the winding down of major military operations against Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allaharound with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not
reallyMoslems....
forces of Evil in the Calmiskaad mountains of Bari region.
According to police and security sources, the two men were arrested earlier in the day and taken to the central station. Hours later, armed members of their unit attempted to storm the facility to secure their release. Police at the station resisted the assault, preventing the attackers from entering the compound or removing the detainees.
The three soldiers injured in the clash were confirmed to be members of the attacking force, officials said. One of the soldiers detained earlier was also reported to have been injured during the incident.
The confrontation triggered a serious security scare in Garowe, unfolding in a busy area near the city square where the police base is located. Residents said gunfire erupted as civilians and vehicles were passing through the area, heightening fears of wider violence.
Puntland security authorities have not issued an official statement on the incident.
In a separate statement, representatives of the Duufaan Brigade claimed that one of their soldiers was injured and mistreated while in jug. They warned that they would take further action if police failed to provide what they described as a satisfactory explanation.
The clash comes at a sensitive time for Puntland, as large numbers of troops have returned to urban areas after nearly a year of intense fighting against ISIS in the Calmiskaad mountains. Security officials have privately acknowledged challenges related to discipline, reintegration and command control as battle-hardened units transition back to peacetime duties.
Last year, a soldier who had returned from the same counter-ISIS campaign killed two fellow soldiers and a civilian in Garowe, an incident that raised alarms about post-deployment oversight and mental health support within the security forces.
Friday’s attack underscores those concerns and highlights the fragile balance between maintaining discipline and managing the reintegration of troops after prolonged combat operations, as Puntland authorities face growing pressure to restore order and accountability within the ranks.