Israel’s quiet security ties with Somaliland

Reports of Israel-Somaliland covert security cooperation are mounting. A senior Somali official, speaking with Middle East Eye, has alleged that Israel sent around 50 soldiers to Somaliland shortly after recognising the territory, becoming the first UN member state to do so, and amid the conflict with Iran. 

The official said Somali intelligence indicated that the troops were deliberately chosen from Israelis of African background, particularly Ethiopian Israelis, to avoid attracting attention and to “blend more easily with local communities.”

Israel’s military declined to address the allegation directly, saying after internal checks that the issue belonged to the political leadership. Israel’s Foreign Ministry later dismissed the report as false after it circulated in Israeli media.

The report comes as Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz publicly acknowledged long-running covert cooperation with Somaliland, saying the two sides had worked together for years on classified operations and were now seeking to expand security ties.

“For many years, we cooperated under the radar in a series of operations that will remain classified,” Katz said adding “we are determined to bring our security cooperation to new heights, for the benefit of both peoples and for the benefit of stability in the region.”

This new report joins a growing list of reports highlighting such covert security cooperation between Tel Aviv and Hargeisa. Earlier this month, CNN reported that Somaliland has been part of a wider network of covert Israeli military locations reportedly used during the war with Iran, citing a source familiar with the matter.

According to the report, Somaliland offered Israel an additional military position that could support long-range operations by allowing Israeli aircraft to stop during flights toward Iran. CNN said the site formed part of a broader regional network that helped expand Israel’s operational reach during the conflict. 

The CNN’s story identified Somaliland as one of several covert locations linked to Israel in the region, alongside sites in Azerbaijan, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates. While Israel’s presence in Azerbaijan reportedly involved elite military, intelligence and drone operations near Iran’s northern border, Somaliland’s role was described primarily as a logistics point for Israeli aircraft.

In April, the French newspaper Le Monde reported a major military build-up at Berbera airport. Satellite imagery reviewed by Le Monde showed extensive excavation south of the runway, including at least 18 trenches dug between October 2025 and March 2026. Security sources cited in the report said the buried structures appear consistent with underground ammunition storage and fuel tanks. The work is allegedly being carried out by the United Arab Emirates, which has previously upgraded the airport’s runway, built military hangars and developed a nearby naval quay capable of hosting military vessels. The report also points to raised platforms that analysts believe may be intended for air-defence systems, similar to Emirati facilities elsewhere in the country including Puntland’s Bosaso.

Somaliland intelligence officers have also allegedly travelled to Tel Aviv for discreet training, while Israeli military delegations have been seen in Hargeisa and Berbera, including in meetings with Somaliland’s military leadership. Israeli teams have also reportedly visited the base.

Moreover, Somaliland’s leadership has increasingly left the door open to deeper Israeli security access, including the possibility of a future military base. During his recent visit to Israel, President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro did not confirm that such an arrangement was underway, but he also declined to dismiss the idea.

The same message has been reinforced by Somaliland’s foreign minister, who has indicated that cooperation with Israel is not limited to civilian or economic areas and could extend into security fields where both sides see mutual benefit. President Irro’s refusal to rule out a base and the foreign minister’s open-ended language amount to a clear indication that Somaliland is positioning itself as willing to offer Israel a military foothold, even as officials stop short of acknowledging any finalized deal or active base negotiations.