Somalia said on Thursday it had pulled federal troops out of the southwestern Lower Juba region, after clashes with local forces from Jubaland state.
Heavy fighting broke out around the coastal town of Ras Kamboni on Wednesday, where hundreds of federal soldiers had been flown in after Jubaland re-elected its president, Ahmed Mohamed Islam Madobe in a vote last month.
Jubaland, which borders Kenya and Ethiopia, is one of Somalia's semi-autonomous states.
It comprises three regions, of which Lower Juba is the most populous.
'Safeguarding nation's sovereignty'
The state suspended relations with the federal government last month in a dispute over the election, which Mogadishu had said was illegal.
"To avoid bloodshed between our forces, the Somali Government orders the withdrawal of National Security Forces from Lower Juba, prioritising the safety of our soldiers," the central government said in a statement posted on X by the Somali National News Agency (SONNA).
It said its forces' focus would solely be on combating militant insurgents and "safeguarding the nation's sovereignty."
The national government in Mogadishu, led by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, had tried to stop the November vote from taking place, saying it was being held without federal involvement.
Arrest warrant
As the dispute escalated, the federal government issued an arrest warrant for Madobe.
Mogadishu had said its troops had been sent to Ras Kamboni to take over bases from African Union peacekeeping forces whose mandate ends at the end of the year.
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