Cabays Media:-

Monday’s surprise attack on Somaliland’s coastguard by Djibouti’s newly trained marines by the US has caused one death and number of injuries.

According to Somaliland’s coastguard, the attack happened within Somaliland’s waters and the reason the Djibouti navy launched surprise attack is not clear, but some reports suggest that the marines from Djibouti were testing the new skills and tactics gained when recently they finished new trainings given by the US and other foreign forces use Djibouti as their host.

One Somaliland coastguard was shot on the head and died after reportedly three speed boats loaded with heavily armed Djibouti marines attacked small speed boat with Somaliland’s national coastguard and without a warning or any known reason fired with hail of bullets.

“We were attacked unexpectedly by Djiboutian navy and they fired on us without any reason” said one of the Somaliland marines warded off the Djiboutian surprise attack.

tension border: Somaliland vs Dijbouti

Locals report of fierce fighting between Somaliland and Djibouti’s navy and heavy weapons exchanged. The Djibouti side outnumbered than Somaliland side and with the surprise attack they launched number of Somaliland coastguards were wounded, some with serious injuries.

Reports also say the Djibouti’s navy were ward off after Somaliland coastguard got enforcement after some three hours of the attack.

Somaliland’s deputy interior minister played down the attack on Somaliland coastguards and described the attack as abnormal incident both countries never had.

“It is not clear yet why the attack happened and the interior minister along the top command of Somaliland’s marines have gone to Zaila to investigate” Said the deputy interior minister who spoke to the media in Hargeisa on Tuesday.

“Were are investigating the incident happened between the two brotherly countries and it is too early to draw conclusions” added the deputy interior minister when asked to comment on the exact reason of the attack.

However, the Djibouti authority did not speak about the incident and could not be reach for comments.

The risk of conflict in the Red Sea with Djibouti and Somaliland might not seemed significant. But Somaliland’s fishing waters often restricted by constant patrol of foreign marines based in Djibouti and the Djibouti’s attempt to control the fishing areas of Somaliland’s water is creating a new competing territorial and jurisdictional claims, particularly over rights to fishing areas in the Red Sea.

But Djibouti’s current aggression on Somaliland’s coastguard signals not only the power the Djibouti navy trying to exercise in order to show those it hosts it can protect from any potential attacks across the border with Somaliland.

Freedom of navigation in the region is also a contentious issue, especially since Djibouti hosts US and other foreign powers.

The current attack on Somaliland’s coastguard within its waters could lead new tensions and it will all depend on how Somaliland accepts the reason the Djibouti attacked its coastguard without obvious reasons.

Cabays Media Team

Djibouti- Republic of Djibouti

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