Dozens of gunmen stormed the Bosaso’s central jail in the middle of the night, freeing a large number of Al-Shabaab detainees.
Al-Shabaab claims to have released about 400 detainees from Bosaso Central Prison. The prison housed members of al-Shabaab and ISIS who had previously been sentenced to various terms.
Most Puntland authorities say they were captured during clashes between Puntland and al-Shabaab in 2016.
Al-Shabaab members recaptured
A senior Puntland military official confirmed to the BBC that fighting was still going on in the mountainous region, adding that 14 al-Shabaab detainees had been captured.
Meanwhile, Puntland security forces are conducting operations in neighborhoods in Bosaso, and troops have also cordoned off the attacked prison, conducting a census of detainees.
Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni has today left for Bosaso to assess the security situation in the city and the region as a whole, according to a statement from the Puntland presidency.
Deni held meetings with security officials in the Bari region.
Little is known about the casualties of last night’s attack and the ongoing fighting between the two sides.
Some local media reported that Puntland soldiers were killed in that attack, which was carried out with bullets and bullets.
Bari Regional Police Commander Hussein Ali Mohamud confirmed to reporters in Bosaso that gunmen entered the jail and were later recaptured.
The commander did not elaborate on the casualties of the attack although there were reports of casualties.
