The fighting occurred late on Sunday, witnesses told Somalia Report.
The clash broke out after a militia from Sool Region fired at fighters from another militia from Garowe, Puntland's commercial city.
“We can’t talk about this yet," a local resident, who witnessed the clash, said.
According to police sources, a local prominent businessman and another person were killed during the fighting, while four people, among them a journalist, sustained serious wounds.
“We are now investigating the cause of the differences," a police source said.
Majority of the inhabitants of Sool region belong to the Dhulbahante (Daarood) clan whose members are divided over if the region lies in Puntland or Somaliland. Other members claim that the region should have its autonomy.
“Both groups were from the region. The group that killed the businessman comes from Garowe while the other group that started the shooting hails from Taleeh area,” a resident in Sool Region who did not want to be named told Somalia Report.
VP's Brother Killed
Meanwhile unidentified gunmen shot and killed Jama Ali Shire, the brother of Puntland Vice President Abdisamad Ali Shire, on Sunday night in Sool region. Whether this is the same businessman mentioned above is unknown.
According to the local residents, the gunmen attacked the vehicle of Shire while he was heading to Taleh district where he wanted to implement business projects.
“They fired his vehicle and he died instantly. We are very sorry for his death and we are requesting the security forces to immediately capture the murderers,” local elder Osman Isse told Somalia Report.
A large number of Puntland security forces reached the scene shortly after the attack and started a massive security operation, but no arrests made.
Somalia Report tried to contact the vice president, but he was not available for comment.
Sool region is one the three regions (Sool, Sanaag, Cayn) of which both Puntland and Somaliland claim their owner ship, while there is local militias known as Sool Sanaag Cayn (SSC) party which conducts hit and run attacks against both Somaliland and Puntland and wants to be free from both administrations.