Gunmen raid registration ward in Somaliland

LUGHAYA, Somaliland-Clan militiamen have attacked a registration center in northwestern Awdal region of Somaliland according to officials, Garowe Online reports.

Assailants armed with machine guns raided the registration ward in the village of Saba-Wanag near Awdal regional district of Lughaya late on Wednesday.

Somaliland Electoral Board Chairman, Abdulkadir Iman has confirmed that the attackers fled with electoral gears in the rare violence in the run-up to tough elections in early 2017.

“Armed group in cars attacked the center, and snatched equipment meant for voter registration exercise. They sped-off in their vehicles, and they are being pursued,” said Iman.

The gunmen wounded two security officers in the attack. Police sources disclose that some militiamen were captured shortly after the raid, with an attacker sustaining injuries.

Somaliland has launched state-wide voter registration exercise that has extended into Awdal ahead of general elections in 2017.

Political parties have also wrapped up early campaigns with manifestos in economy and the region’s bid for independence.

Somaliland, located in northwestern Somalia declared its independence from the rest of the country as  de facto sovereign state in 1991 but it has not been recognized internationally yet.

GAROWEONLINE