Text of report by Somaliland independent daily newspaper Haatuf on 24 September

Three Ethiopian army defectors were arrested by Somaliland police near the border town of Tog-wajaale on Thursday [20 September].

It was later said that three defectors plus their guns were handed over to Ethiopian army officers on the Ethiopian side of the border town on Saturday [22 September].

This was confirmed to Haatuf by eyewitnesses.

However, Somaliland's police commissioner, Muhammad Sanqadhi Dubad, whom we contacted by phone, declined to comment on the matter and said "ask the person who told you the story," and disconnected the telephone.

On the other hand, the chairman of Tog-wajaale, Qawrax, who witnessed the matter, similarly declined to give any details but said "the government is better placed to comment on this issue than me".

Original Source: Haatuf, Hargeysa

Source: BBC Monitoring