Fresh attacks by Punt land security forces against Al-Shabab militant group fighters have left at least 18 people dead. Officials and witnesses say.

Puntland semi autonomous Security Minister Yusuf Ahmed Qeyr said that the raid on the mountainous region was a success and that they had inflicted serious injuries on the enemy’s side.

‘We have attacked their bases and chase them away. Our forces are now in full control of the Galgala Mountains and the enemy suffered heavy casualties,” Qeyr said on Sunday.

The Somali militia group are loyal to local insurgent leader Mohamed Said Atom, who is on the UN Security Council watch list.

“The gang militias whether they came from southern, northern or Puntland regions made bases at Sugule, Bali-khadar and behind the mountains. After they refused to stop violence, terrorizing, instability and assassinations in the region we decided to fight with them and defend from our civilians,” Puntland security forces commander told Puntland’s leading news agency, Garowe online.

The attack comes nearly two weeks after a similar deadly offensive was targeted on the group which wants to transform the mountainous region into African Tora Bora.

News Report by Abdulaziz Billow
Abdulaziz Billow is AfrobeatRadio’s correspondent for East Africa.