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Africa Horn |
Shaboobs kill two police officers in Puntland |
2015-01-16 |
African Union peacekeepers and the Somali army launched a campaign last year that has forced al Qaeda-linked Analysts say the “Gunmen attacked us last night with grenades and gunfire. Two policemen died and three others were injured,” said Mohamuud Saciid, a Puntland police captain told Reuters, referring to Wednesday’s late night assault which he blamed on Al Shabaab’s military operations spokesman, Abdiasis Abu Musab, confirmed the group was behind the attack in Basasso port town, although he said three officers had been killed. Al Shabaab often gives a higher death toll than officials. Residents worry that the attack, coming so soon after the fighting in the Galgala hill region, where Puntland security forces said they killed 20 militants, heralds the start of a new militant offensive in the area. “It seems al Shabaab is increasing in number these days after the Galgala hills war. Some al Shabaab fighters have come into the towns,” Basasso resident Ahmed Nur said. He had heard of other attacks on police posts, he said. “We also see many forces deployed into the town. We cannot say al Shabaab is as strong as it is in Mogadishu. However, the mood is changing here,” he said. |
Posted by:Steve White |