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| Africa Horn |
| Somali pirates kill eight Puntland troops in Danish rescue attempt |
| 2011-03-10 |
| MOGADISHU — The Somali pirates holding a Danish family hostage on Thursday killed eight Puntland government troops who were heading towards their mountain hide-out, security officials said. Officials said forces from the northern Somali breakaway state where the seven hostages -- four adults and three teenage children -- are held were approaching the pirates' lair and were intercepted on the way. "Puntland armed forces clashed with pirates near Bandar Beyla and the information we're getting indicates that there were casualties," said Abdifatah Mohamed, a security official based in Bosasso. "Some of our soldiers were killed and one of our trucks was destroyed," he said, adding that communication with the remote area near Bandar Beyla was bad, making it impossible for him to confirm the number of dead. "A reinforcement of 11 armed vehicles has left Garowe," the administrative capital of Puntland, he added. Another security official who refused to be quoted, however, said eight Puntland troops were killed in the ambush. |
| Posted by:tu3031 |