Around 500 Saudi-trained Somali troops were reportedly airlifted to Las Anod as security tensions rise along Somaliland’s eastern frontier and Houthi networks expand across the Horn of Africa
Somaliland’s eastern frontier is facing a potentially significant new military buildup as a large contingent of Somali forces reportedly arrives in Las Anod, amid wider concerns about armed-group networks and Houthi activity across the Horn of Africa.
Around 500 Somali troops trained, equipped and financed with Saudi support were airlifted Wednesday to Las Anod, according to sources familiar with the operation. The reported deployment comes as tensions remain high along Somaliland’s eastern frontier and as regional security networks increasingly overlap across Somalia, Yemen and the Red Sea.
Three small aircraft were reportedly used in the operation, with each aircraft making two flights. The six sorties transported the troops from Somalia to Las Anod, according to the sources.
The deployment could mark a substantial reinforcement of armed forces already operating in and around the city. The newly arrived personnel are reportedly expected to be incorporated into militia formations based in Las Anod.
The account could not be independently verified, and neither Saudi nor Somali authorities were immediately cited as publicly confirming the operation.
Abdi Madoobe Reportedly Oversees Transfer
The reported movement coincided with the arrival in Guriel, in Somalia’s Galmudug state, of Ali Hussein Abdi Kamiin, better known as Abdi Madoobe, a militia commander from Las Anod.
Sources familiar with the movement said Abdi Madoobe travelled to Guriel to receive the troops and oversee arrangements associated with their transfer to Las Anod.
The development is particularly significant because U.N. security reporting has previously linked Abdi Madoobe to Al-Shabaab-related activity. Those allegations should be distinguished from an independently established finding of current operational ties.
If confirmed, the deployment would represent one of the more substantial recent movements of personnel toward Somaliland’s eastern frontier. Its significance will depend in part on whether the forces remain under a distinct command structure or are integrated into local armed formations.
The reported Saudi connection also adds a regional dimension to the development. Saudi Arabia has maintained close security and political relationships across the Horn of Africa, while competition among Gulf, Turkish, Iranian and other regional actors has increasingly intersected with Somalia’s internal conflicts.
Houthi Networks Add a Wider Regional Security Dimension
The reported troop movement comes against the backdrop of a separate but increasingly relevant security concern: evidence that Houthi networks have expanded their activities into the Horn of Africa.
A recent report by The Century International argues that the Iran-backed Houthi movement has developed recruitment, smuggling and logistical links extending into Somalia and other parts of the region. The report’s findings are consistent with elements of recent U.N. reporting on Houthi-Al-Shabaab contacts and weapons trafficking through Somalia.
According to the U.N. report, a Somali national detained in Yemen in 2024 was identified by authorities as an intermediary between the Houthis and Al-Shabaab. The individual reportedly facilitated the movement of nearly 400 Somalis to Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen for military and ideological training. The U.N. panel also reported that two Houthi military engineers travelled to Jilib, Somalia, where they allegedly provided training related to improvised explosive devices, drone adaptation and weapons maintenance.
The reported relationship is unusual given the ideological differences between Al-Shabaab, a Sunni Islamist organization affiliated with al-Qaeda, and the predominantly Shiite Houthi movement. But security networks in the region can operate across sectarian and ideological divides when organizations share tactical interests.
“The case serves to illustrate the ability of the Houthis to conduct intricate operations inside and outside Yemen and establish a web of relations with armed groups in other countries,” the U.N. panel said in its assessment.
The U.N. investigation also found that Somalia was increasingly being used as a transit hub for weapons destined for Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, identifying several coastal routes used by small vessels.
A Maritime Supply Chain Across the Horn
The Century International investigation provides further detail on the emerging logistics network.
Researchers found that two Djibouti-based companies linked through interdiction records to Houthi networks imported an estimated 7,500 to 8,500 tons of ammonium nitrate and other chemicals between 2023 and 2025. The materials were subsequently moved toward Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen using commercial vessels, dhows and smaller boats, according to the report.
The same investigation said the shipments included millions of electronic detonators of the type used in improvised explosive devices and drones.
The researchers emphasized that evidence of Houthi-linked trafficking through Djibouti does not establish that the Djiboutian government supports or directs the activity. Djiboutian authorities have denied complicity and said they were investigating the networks.
Another major case involved the Al-Sharwa, a vessel intercepted in June 2025 carrying more than 750 tons of weapons and military equipment. U.S. Central Command and other reporting identified the cargo as including missile-related equipment, drone engines, radar and communications systems intended for the Houthis.
The episode illustrated how maritime routes connecting Iran, Somalia, Djibouti and Yemen can be exploited to move military materiel while attempting to evade international monitoring.
Why Las Anod Matters
Las Anod occupies a strategically sensitive position in Somaliland’s east and has remained at the center of a prolonged political and military dispute.
The arrival of hundreds of additional personnel, if confirmed, could alter the balance among armed groups operating around the city and increase the pressure on Somaliland’s eastern security positions.
It could also complicate an already crowded regional security environment in which local political disputes intersect with wider competition over ports, maritime routes and influence along the Gulf of Aden.
The convergence of these developments does not establish a direct connection between the Saudi-supported troop deployment and Houthi networks. But together they underscore the increasingly interconnected nature of security threats in the Horn of Africa.
For Somaliland, the immediate concern is the military significance of the reported reinforcement. For regional governments and international security agencies, the broader question is whether the movement of armed personnel, recruitment networks and illicit maritime supply chains is creating a more tightly connected security theater stretching from Somalia’s interior to the Red Sea and Yemen.
If the reported 500-person deployment is confirmed, its composition, chain of command and intended role will be critical indicators of whether the move represents a temporary reinforcement or a longer-term restructuring of armed forces around Las Anod.
