Puntland Police confirm takeover of PSF bases in Bosaso and Galkayo

Puntland authorities have confirmed that regional security forces have taken control of bases previously occupied by the Puntland Security Force (PSF) in the cities of Bosaso and Galkayo.

In a statement, the Puntland Police Command said the administration had “officially assumed responsibility for the management and security of the facilities, which are now under the control of the Puntland Defence Forces” .

The police also said security personnel “recovered a cache of military equipment during an operation in Galkayo” . According to the statement, the items included weapons, ammunition, military vehicles and various police equipment, including uniforms, handcuffs, police boots and other supplies.

The statement further claimed that some of the recovered equipment formed part of assistance previously donated by the Chinese government to the Somali Police Force.

The announcement comes after PSF personnel peacefully vacated their bases in Bosaso and Galkayo in recent days, with no fighting reported during the handover.

The PSF, which has operated since 2002, has played a significant role in counterterrorism operations against Al-Shabaab and ISIS in Puntland. The force is officially affiliated with the Federal Government of Somalia.

The latest developments follow months of political and security tensions between Puntland and the Federal Government over the status and command of the PSF, although no official response has yet been issued by PSF leadership regarding the takeover of the bases.

Mustaqbal