MOGADISHU, Somalia – Somalia’s semi-autonomous state of Puntland military forces have re-captured Af-urur army camp, just some 90km south of Bosaso town, without firing a single shot.
A Puntland military commander of 3rd brigade Mohamud Mohamed says the town has been under control of al Shabaab for a week after withdrawal of Puntland forces over unknown reason.
Mohamed says its forces had successfully re-captured the town from the militant group.
June 7, 2017, more than 60 people, including 45 Puntland forces were killed when militants launched a deadly dawn raid on an army base in Af-Urur.
The militants also moved into Galgala Mountains while an increase of US airstrikes targeting al Shabaab and Islamic State groups around the mountains.
The US military said it had carried out its 7th strike targeting the Islamic State group around the mountains for the last month.
al-Shabaab, an al Qaeda linked group continues to hold small rural areas in central and southern Somalia
The group was pushed out of the Somali capital, Mogadishu, in 2011 after a joint offensive carried out by Somalia and African Union troops.
The rebel group wants to overthrow the weak UN-backed government in Somalia and impose its own strict interpretation of Islamic law.
