Hargeisa, Somaliland – Authorities in the self-declared Republic of Somaliland say they have detained a senior officer of the Somali National Army (SNA) in the border town of Wajaale, escalating already tense relations between Hargeisa and Mogadishu.
The officer, identified as Lieutenant Colonel Hassan Iraqi, is reported to be the commander of Somalia’s elite 18th Gorgor battalion — a Turkish-trained special forces unit. Somaliland officials claim Iraqi was apprehended upon returning from Jigjiga, the capital of Ethiopia’s Somali Regional State, though no further details were provided regarding the circumstances of his travel or detention.
Lt. Col. Iraqi is widely remembered in Somalia for his role in commanding SNA operations in Raskamboni, Lower Jubba region, where government forces fought Al-Shabaab insurgents and worked alongside local militias to reclaim key territories. His military career has made him a respected — and at times controversial — figure in Somalia’s security landscape.
The Somaliland administration has not disclosed the charges against him or indicated whether he will be transferred to Hargeisa for further questioning. Somalia’s federal government has yet to issue an official response, but security analysts warn the incident could spark a diplomatic standoff, given Iraqi’s rank and symbolic value within the national army.
The detention comes amid heightened political friction between Somaliland and Somalia over sovereignty, military deployments, and contested border areas. Observers say the case could test not only internal relations but also Ethiopia’s role, as Jigjiga lies within its jurisdiction and may hold clues to the officer’s movements before his arrest.