At least 25 soldiers died in weekend fighting between rival Puntland and Galmudug regional forces in the divided Somali town of Galkayo, military officials on both sides said Monday. "We have lost 12 men and there are more than 10 wounded," said Puntland commander Jumale Jama Takar, while his Galmudug counterpart Abdirahman Qoje said: "We have lost 13 soldiers and nearly 20 others wounded."
The commanders blamed each other for starting the fight. The disputed town, about 700 kilometres (440 miles) north-east of the capital Mogadishu, has seen repeated clashes in recent weeks. However Sunday's fighting is the deadliest yet and marked the collapse of a short-lived peace agreement between the two semi-autonomous Somali states. The northern quarters of Galkayo are controlled by Puntland authorities while the south is under the authority of the Galmudug regional state.