PSF Withdraws from Galkayo Base, Relocates to Galmudug

Galkayo (WDN) – In a dramatic development underscoring the deepening security and political rift between Puntland and Somalia’s Federal Government, fighters affiliated with the Puntland Security Force (PSF) have vacated one of their key positions in Galkayo, relocating across the administrative boundary into Baraxley, an area under neighboring Galmudug administration.

The withdrawal comes amid escalating tensions following recent clashes between Puntland forces and PSF units, marking another significant shift in the increasingly volatile security landscape of northeastern Somalia. According to local sources, the PSF abandoned its base near Galkayo Airport, one of its principal operational positions in Puntland, after large numbers of Puntland security forces were deployed around the facility in what appeared to be a show of overwhelming force.

Witnesses reported that PSF personnel departed the compound with five military vehicles, crossing into Galmudug-controlled territory. Shortly afterward, municipal authorities in Galkayo reportedly dug trenches around the vacated base, a move widely interpreted as an effort to prevent the fighters from returning or re-establishing a presence there.

The relocation follows last week’s confrontation in Laag, in Puntland’s Bari region, where fighting between Puntland forces and PSF units resulted in the reported seizure of eight military vehicles from commanders aligned with the force. Those officers are now said to be serving within Somalia’s Federal Government security structure.