ELWAK, Somalia (KAAB TV) – El-Waq District authorities of Somalia’s Gedo region reported the seizure of arms and ammunition from arms dealers during an operation in the town on Tuesday.
Following the operation, all the captured weapons and ammunition were handed back to their owners.
Major Shukri Abdullahi Hussein, the commander of the first organization, stated that the weapons were confiscated from arms dealers.
“These weapons were bought from the government forces. We were targeting illegal weapons,” said Major Shukri.
Local residents indicated that the weapons were owned by tribal militias, highlighting existing tensions over the issue.
Somalia is currently witnessing an increased proliferation of arms due to the flow of illicit weapons as a result of uncontrolled weapon imports. In December 2023, the UN Security Council lifted the long-standing arms embargo on Somalia, imposed in 1992, which has been described as premature.
Armed conflict between rival clans persists in various southern regions, where armed clans continue to engage in deadly clashes.