CARMO, Somalia — August 8, 2026 — Puntland security forces took control of a military base in Carmo district in Bari region on Saturday after federal-aligned troops stationed at the facility withdrew overnight and relocated to other areas in Bari and Karkaar regions, Puntland police said, marking the latest development in an escalating dispute over the command of security forces in northeastern Somalia.
The Puntland Police Force confirmed the takeover in a statement issued Saturday, saying regional security personnel had entered the military facility and placed it under Puntland government control.
No fighting was reported during the takeover because the troops previously stationed at the facility had left before Puntland forces arrived.
The development comes after Puntland’s 48-hour deadline for personnel who had registered with or aligned themselves with Somalia’s federal government to return to Puntland’s security institutions expired.
Puntland Police Confirm Carmo Takeover
In its statement, Puntland said the military facility in Carmo had previously been occupied by armed personnel operating outside the regional government’s security command.
Puntland authorities described those personnel as an armed militia and accused them of carrying out activities intended to undermine security and social stability in areas under the regional administration.
The allegations have not been independently verified, and the Federal Government of Somalia has not publicly responded to the specific accusations contained in Saturday’s Puntland police statement.
Puntland police said the takeover was part of measures aimed at maintaining security and public order and reinforcing the authority of government institutions across the region.
“The Puntland government today officially took control of a military command located in Carmo,” the police statement said.
Authorities said Puntland security forces had fully secured the compound and established government control over the facility.
Puntland also called on armed forces operating within areas under its administration to comply with regional government institutions and its security command.
The regional government said security operations would continue, describing them as measures aimed at maintaining stability and protecting civilians.
Federal-Aligned Forces Relocate
The troops previously based in Carmo left the facility overnight before Puntland forces arrived, according to reports from the area.
They are reported to have moved toward several locations in Bari and Karkaar regions.
Some of the forces were reported to have relocated toward Xumbabays in Bari, although the precise locations and number of personnel involved have not been independently confirmed.
Earlier reports indicated that Puntland had deployed forces toward areas where the troops had relocated. There were no immediate reports of fighting as of Saturday.
The forces had previously entered talks with Puntland authorities in an attempt to resolve disagreements over their status and command, according to information from the region.
Those negotiations ended without a final agreement.
The withdrawal from Carmo followed the expiry of a 48-hour deadline issued by Puntland to personnel who had registered with Somalia’s federal government.
Puntland had called on those troops to return to its security institutions and said it would guarantee their rights if they accepted the regional government’s command structure.
Latest in Series of Puntland Security Operations
The Carmo takeover is the latest in a series of moves by Puntland aimed at bringing military facilities and armed personnel under its direct authority.
Days earlier, Puntland forces seized a military position in northern Galkayo following fighting with forces linked to the Puntland Security Force, or PSF, and personnel aligned with the Federal Government of Somalia.
The clashes came after rising tensions over the presence of armed units operating outside Puntland’s direct command.
Puntland subsequently took control of PSF positions in Bosaso, further expanding its control over facilities previously held by the security force.
The regional administration has said its objective is to prevent parallel security structures from operating within territories under its control.
The federal government has not publicly accepted Puntland’s characterization of federal-aligned troops as an illegal security structure.
The latest confrontation comes against the backdrop of a wider political dispute between Puntland and Somalia’s federal government.
Relations between Garowe and Mogadishu have deteriorated over constitutional amendments, federal power-sharing, elections and the division of authority between Somalia’s federal institutions and its member states.
Security forces have increasingly become part of that dispute.
Puntland has accused the federal government of recruiting or establishing relationships with personnel previously serving in regional security institutions, describing the moves as interference in its internal security affairs.
Mogadishu has broader constitutional responsibilities for Somalia’s national security and maintains federal security institutions across the country.
The dispute has raised questions over command structures when personnel recruited or registered by federal authorities are stationed inside territory administered by a federal member state that does not recognize their deployment.
The situation has been particularly sensitive in Puntland because of the history of the PSF.
The PSF was established as a specialized counterterrorism force and has participated in operations against militant organizations, including Al-Shabaab and Islamic State-linked fighters operating in northeastern Somalia.
Relations between Puntland’s government and sections of the PSF leadership have experienced previous periods of confrontation, including deadly fighting in Bosaso in December 2021 following a dispute over the leadership of the force.
The current dispute has developed under different circumstances, with some former Puntland-linked personnel establishing relationships with federal authorities.
No Casualties Reported in Carmo Takeover
There were no immediate reports of casualties or armed confrontation during Puntland’s takeover of the Carmo facility on Saturday.
The absence of fighting reduced the immediate risk to civilians in the town, although the movement of armed forces toward other locations in Bari and Karkaar could keep security concerns elevated.
Puntland authorities said they would continue taking measures aimed at protecting civilians and maintaining public order.
The government also said its security operations would be conducted in accordance with Puntland’s constitution and laws.
Attention is now shifting toward the locations where the forces that withdrew from Carmo have moved.
Any Puntland deployment toward those positions could increase tensions if negotiations do not produce an agreement over the future status of the troops.
Authorities could also seek further talks aimed at persuading federal-aligned personnel to return to Puntland’s security command without confrontation.
The response of Somalia’s federal government will also be closely watched, particularly after Puntland’s 48-hour deadline expired and the regional administration began taking control of facilities previously occupied by federal-aligned troops.
The takeover of the Carmo military base strengthens Puntland’s control over another security facility following its recent operations in Galkayo and Bosaso. Taken together, the moves indicate a coordinated effort by the regional administration to place armed units operating within its territory under a single command structure.
The immediate withdrawal of the Carmo forces without fighting has so far prevented another armed confrontation. The risk could shift to Bari and Karkaar areas where the troops have reportedly relocated, particularly if Puntland forces continue moving toward their new positions.
