Bosaso, Somalia – A violent confrontation erupted Tuesday in Kala-baydh village, near the coastal city of Bosaso in Somalia’s Bari region, after two clan militias engaged in fighting over control of a newly constructed water well.
Local sources said the dispute escalated rapidly, with armed groups exchanging gunfire in the rural settlement, underscoring the persistent fragility of inter-clan relations in the region.
Puntland security officials confirmed the incident, noting that a delegation of elders and government representatives was dispatched to the area to mediate between the rival factions and prevent further bloodshed. Authorities have yet to release an official death toll, but residents reported that there were casualties on both sides.
The Bari region, a key economic hub due to its proximity to Bosaso port, has in recent years seen sporadic clashes linked to land and resource disputes. Water scarcity, worsened by prolonged droughts and poor infrastructure, has often triggered violent competition among communities.
Officials warned that the situation in Kala-baydh remains tense and stressed the need for long-term solutions to resource disputes to avoid repeated cycles of violence.