A senior Somali official has claimed that dozens of Israeli soldiers have recently been deployed in Somaliland, Israel’s newest diplomatic partner, according to a report by the Middle East Eye.

The official said that approximately 50 Israeli troops are currently stationed in Somaliland as part of security arrangements between the two sides. He further claimed that many of the soldiers are of Ethiopian origin.

“According to our intelligence reports, the Israeli military selected soldiers of African descent, particularly Ethiopians, so they would not attract attention and could integrate more easily into the local population,” the official said.

The report also claimed that Somaliland has provided Israel with access to an additional military facility that could potentially serve as a stopover point for Israeli Air Force aircraft on long-range missions to Iran.

At the same time, analysts cited in the report suggested that Israel is seeking to strengthen its presence in the Red Sea, partly to counter threats posed by the Houthis in Yemen.

The report further noted that Defense Minister Yisrael Katz recently acknowledged that cooperation between Israel and Somaliland predates the formal recognition agreement. During a meeting with Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, Katz said: “For many years, we cooperated below the radar in a number of operations that will remain classified. We are now determined to take our security cooperation to new heights, for the benefit of both peoples and for the stability of the region.”

Somaliland Defense Minister Mohamed Yusuf Ali denied that Israel maintains a permanent military base in the territory. He did confirm ongoing security cooperation, saying, “Israel is assisting Somaliland. They support us through the training of some of our police and military personnel.”

The report follows an earlier report by Kan News stating that around 50 members of Somaliland’s special forces recently returned home after undergoing training in Israel. A Somaliland official did not deny that report and said cooperation between the two sides spans a variety of fields.

Somalia considers Somaliland an integral part of its sovereign territory, meaning any reports of Israeli activity in the region are likely to fuel broader diplomatic and security tensions.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)