Mortar Shells Target Military in Somalia’s Puntland State

Somalia

GAROWE (Somaliguardian) – A barrage of mortar shells targeted a military base in northeastern Somalia’s semi-autonomous region of Puntland, in one of the latest attacks claimed by insurgents to hit the region, officials confirmed to local media on Tuesday.

Mortar bombs fell inside the base where hundreds of regional forces are stationed, who have been part of the region’s decade-long fight against Islamist militants in the mountainous areas surrounding the coastal town of Bosaso.

It comes after Al-Shabaab stormed a prison in the coastal of town of Bosaso in March and said it had freed 400 militant inmates.

The Al-Qaeda-affiliated group, which claimed responsibility for the mortar attack on Af-urur base outside Bosaso, said the assault had inflicted losses on Puntland troops and damaged parts of the camp and military vehicles.

Regional authorities said troops responded with heavy artillery shelling on Monday night after mortar fire hit Af-urur camp and did not say if there were casualties as a result of the attack.

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