LAASCAANOOD (KAAB TV) – The missile crash in northern Somalia, specifically in the Kalcad village near Taleex district of the Sool region, has prompted investigations by SSC-Khaatumo officials, the regional authorities said on Saturday.
While no casualties were reported as the missile exploded in a rural area, initial assessments suggest it may have been a misguided projectile from the Houthi militia.
“At this time, we are still investigating the missile which we understand that it could be Land Attack Cruise Missiles (LACM) from Yemen,” said the official in Laascaanood who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation.
#Laascaanood: SSC-Khaatumo officials say they are investigating misguided missile that crashed in Kalcad village near Taleex district of #Sool region on Friday.
A local source says initial assessment is that it seems to be misguided #Houthi militia’s missile.
It caused no… pic.twitter.com/ci7yYg531k
— Kaab Somali TV (@KaabTV) May 4, 2024
“Villagers who witnessed the burning object reported to us on Friday. There was a big firestorm as it crashed from the sky. Fortunately, there were no casualties,” added the official.
The area, which falls under SSC-Khaatumo administration, was embroiled in conflict last year between SSC-Khaatumo forces and the Somaliland military.
The Yemeni Houthi group, backed by Iran, has been launching Land Attack Cruise Missiles (LACM) targeting commercial ships in the Red Sea since October last year as part of their anti-Israeli campaign amid the Gaza conflict.
This week, they reiterated their intentions to target Israel-bound ships within their range.
Moreover, the Houthis have been implicated in supplying weapons to various Somali militia groups, including Al-Shabaab, and potentially aiding the resurgence of piracy in the region.
Neither the Somali government nor authorities in the breakaway region of Somaliland have commented on the missile incident in the Sool region at the time of reporting.