[1][13][14] Local tensions escalated in late 2022 following the assassination of civil leaders in Las Anod, culminating in fighting that erupted on 6 February 2023 after Somaliland security forces violently cracked down on civilian protests.

[19] Under President Muse Bihi, the Somaliland Army initiated a prolonged military campaign, including six months of artillery bombardments aimed at subduing the city.

[20] Amnesty International reported indiscriminate shelling by Somaliland forces, which damaged schools, mosques, and hospitals, while also killing and injuring civilians.

[24][11] The conflict has weakened Somaliland's bid for international recognition, as the war and mass displacement have tarnished its image as a stable political entity.

[25] In August 2023, the Somaliland army was compelled to retreat from the environs of Las Anod after being routed during the battle of Goojacade,[26] following which SSC forces declared a cessation of hostilities.

Somaliland police fired live ammunition and gunned down protesters, killing more than twenty people and sending shockwaves through the community.

[19][34] In December 2022, civil demonstrations against the Somaliland government and unrest began to spread northwest across the Sool region, from Taleh to Kalabaydh, Hudun, Boocame and Tukaraq.

[22] In February 2023 local leaders in Las Anod declared that they would “never accept or participate in Somaliland's separatist programme” and announced their allegiance to Somalia.

[22] A declaration of independence was uploaded on social media stating the regions of Sool, Sanaag and Cayn rejected the rule of Somaliland.

[19] For nearly 20 days SSC forces battled the Somaliland army on the edge of Las Anod, engaging in fierce house-to-house combat.

[39] During the first weeks of armed clashes, Somaliland forces stationed at the nearby base of Gojacade cut the water supply to Las Anod.

[22] After failing to take the city during a fierce battle on 25 February 2024, all Somaliland army units stationed in eastern Sool region were dispatched to the military base of Gojacade as reinforcements.

[42] A number of fellow Harti-Darod (including Warsangali, Dashiishe & Majeerteen) clans announced their support for the Las Anod Dhulbahante.

[46][39] The Somaliland army deployed approximately 28 guuto (battalions) comprising 200 to 400 men around Las Anod during this period, supplemented by over a thousand armed police forces.

[42] On 2 March, the mayor of Las Anod reported that Somaliland forces were bombing public buildings from the surrounding countryside including government institutions and hospitals.

[41] On 26 March 2023, Somaliland forces launched a major three-pronged offensive on Las Anod but failed to make any headway after fierce fighting.

[38] On 7 June, the UN Security Council released a statement reaffirming its full respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, political independence, and unity of Somalia.

"[50] The following day, the Somaliland Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement expressing their view that the UNSC was "misinformed about the facts on the ground.

"[51] On 11 July, Somaliland troops were reported to have shelled a health facilities and public infrastructures in Las Anod, destroying 2 ambulances and causing dozens of casualties (including healthcare workers and patients).

[53] In response, the Somaliland Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the statement as "disturbing" and claimed that they were fighting clan militias and Al-Shabaab terrorists, to ensure "that those in need have access to these services and other humanitarian assistance".

[55] On 16 August, famous Somali traditional poet Abwan Jama Kadiye was reportedly killed by a mortar shelling in Las Anod.

SSC-Khatumo claimed this advance also resulted in the capture of Dhuxun, Xargega, Golayeedhay, Canjiid, Adhi'adeye, Samakaab, Yagoori, Wadhake, and Guumays and their respective military bases.

[30] In the aftermath of the offensive, the Somaliland Ministry of Defense released a statement stating that its army withdrew from their positions in the eastern part of the Sool region for "strategic military purposes and is in the phase of reorganizing and preparing to counter the enemy."

They informed the Federal Government of Somalia, the international community, and the Somali people that the SSC had halted what they referred to as "Somaliland's war of aggression."

These efforts include a strategic withdrawal of forces from Las Anod, facilitating the return of displaced individuals, and launching social support programs.

[27] Following the capture of the Goojacade army base by SSC-Khatumo, in Fall 2023 the frontline shifted to western Sool, emerging between the villages of Oog and Guumays.

[66] A significant escalation in the number of Somaliland army troops being trained in Ethiopia over 2024 have raised concerns that President Muse Bihi is planning a new offensive aimed at conquering the land lost to the SSC regional administration during the summer of 2023.

[69][70] After a several-month long lull in major fighting, the 2024 Buhodle clashes erupted between SSC and Somaliland forces around the town of Qoorlugud in the Buhoodle District of Cayn region from October 31 and continued into November 1, 2024.

SSC issued a statement accusing Somaliland of deliberately harming civilians in the city after gunfire was reported there on noon that day.

[22] According to the findings of an April 2023 report released by Amnesty International, Somaliland forces "...indiscriminately shelled the town, damaging hospitals, schools and mosques, killing and injuring civilians, and displacing tens of thousands of people."