Hiiraan Online

Mogadishu (HOL) - The Danab Unit, a special forces brigade of the Somali National Army (SNA), issued a statement on Friday in response to recent media reports about their involvement in clan-related conflicts in Somalia. The unit commander, Ahmed Abdullahi Nur 'Beeryare,' emphasized that the unit's primary objective is to fight against terrorist organizations in the country and that it will not engage in clan conflicts or clan-related affairs.

The statement also addressed the recent death of former Danab Lieutenant General Mohamed Aden Suleiman during fighting in Las Anod. It explained that Suleiman was not involved in any official capacity with the unit at the time of his death and had left the Danab Unit in 2021 for personal reasons. 

General Odowaa Yusuf Rage, the Commander of the Somali Armed Forces, previously confirmed that any active-duty SNA officer who abandons their post to participate in the Las Anod conflict will be dishonourably discharged from the military. Although he could not recall Suleiman specifically, he confirmed that Suleiman lost his military membership when he participated in the battle of Las Anod.

Suleiman received military training in Uganda in 2011 and later in Turkey. He became the commander of the fourth unit of the Danab forces in the Baledogle Airfield camp during President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo's administration. Later, he transferred to a special police unit that conducts investigations on the streets of the capital Mogadishu, where he became a commander.

In a video that surfaced at the start of the Las Anod conflict, Suleiman confirmed his involvement in hostilities against Somaliland forces. He reportedly controlled a Facebook page under the name of Haybe Shire, where he posted pictures of himself with various weapons. A relative confirmed to the media that Suleiman died in a fight between local militia and Somaliland forces outside Las Anod.

Somaliland has previously accused the Somali federal government forces of involvement in the Las Anod conflict.