Somalia claims Israel has stationed 50 soldiers in the breakaway region of Somaliland, citing a preference for troops of Ethiopian descent to avoid attention. The allegation follows Defense Minister Israel Katz's recent reference to a 'series of under-the-radar' operations with Somaliland.
Somalia's government on Monday accused Israel of deploying 50 troops, reportedly of Ethiopian origin, in the breakaway region of Somaliland — a claim Israel has not addressed publicly. The allegation comes a day after Defense Minister Israel Katz spoke of a 'series of under-the-radar' security operations with Somaliland, without providing details.
As The Zioneer reported on June 17, Katz on Wednesday disclosed years of secret security cooperation with Somaliland during a meeting with that breakaway state's president, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi. Since then, multiple Somaliland officials — including the president, foreign minister, and defense minister — have given interviews that broadly hinted at or denied the possibility of an Israeli military presence, without confirming any specific deployment.
The latest allegation from Mogadishu is unverified; Somaliland, which has closely guarded its narrative since the Katz visit, has not responded to this specific report. Single-source, awaiting official Israeli or Somaliland response.
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