MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Clan militias intercepted and looted a significant cache of weapons intended for the Somali government, local media reported on Monday. The arms, valued at approximately $4 million and procured from Ethiopia, were being transported via two trucks through the central town of Abud Waq, near the Ethiopian border.
The ambush caught the convoy off guard as it navigated the remote and volatile region. Witnesses described a chaotic scene as armed militia members swarmed the trucks, overpowering the small security detail accompanying the shipment. Gunfire and shouts echoed through the dusty streets of Abud Waq as the assailants swiftly unloaded the crates of weapons into waiting vehicles.
Local authorities, already grappling with sporadic violence and rival clan conflicts in the area, were unable to prevent the brazen attack. The looting of such a substantial quantity of military hardware has raised concerns about the government’s ability to secure its own supply lines and maintain order in the towns under its control.
“Initial reports suggest that the weapons were purchased by a former NISA senior officer, now a member of the federal parliament, on behalf of the Somali Federal Government. This officer reportedly maintains a close relationship with the Ethiopian military command in the Somali Ethiopian region,” former deputy director of the Somali National Intelligence and Security Agency Abdisalam Guled said in a post on X.
“It is believed that the weapons, worth $3-4 million USD, were owned by the Somali Federal Government and funded by a wealthy businessman connected to the regime at Villa Somalia,” he added.
The looting has escalated fears of intensified inter-clan conflict in the region, already beset by months of simmering tensions and sporadic violence. With fighting already raging between rival clans over territory, resources, and political influence, the influx of these sophisticated arms threatens to further destabilize an already volatile situation.
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