Hiiraan Online
Thursday, March 17, 2016
MOGADISHU (HOL) – The president of Puntland semiautonomous state in northern Somalia reaffirmed his commitment to defeat fighters from the Al-Qaeda linked Al Shabab group who overrun towns in the region without seeking assistance from the African Union force in Somalia.
The region’s military forces have regained control of a town in the east of the region after fierce clashes with Al Shabab fighters on Wednesday, in an effort to recapture lost ground.
Speaking to the Voice Of America’s Somali service , Abdiweli Mohamed Ali described the new military attacks by Al Shabab as ‘phenomenon’ that the group tries to open a second battlefront against Puntland.
“Our forces are sufficient to deal with Al Shabab, therefore we don’t need any assistance from AMISOM. Nevertheless, we have asked the international community to support Puntlantttd forces just like the way it assists AMISOM and Somali government forces.” He said in an interview.
The 22000-strong African Union forces in Somalia are shoring up the western backed Somali government which is struggling to contain a deadly insurgency by Al Shabab which continues guerilla attacks across large parts of cetral and southern Somalia.
In addition, Mr. Ali had has rusbihed an allegation by a minister in his state that Somali government was involved in the Al Shabab invasion against the region.
“That’s not true – I don’t believe Somali government has any hand in these attacks, then again instead we and the government are united in the fight against Al Shabab.” He said,
Al Shabab fighters seized the small port town of Garacad, in Mudug region on Tuesday night, increasing pressure on the regional administration which is already locked in a deadly conflict with another Al Shabab group based in the largely mountainous town of Galgala and nearby villages.
The surprise seaborne attack had left Puntland authorities scramble to mobilize its forces to recapture areas lost to the militants.
Meanwhile, the former Puntland president Gen, Adde Muse warned that the region would be in trouble without joint efforts to defeat the ‘politicized’ invasion.
“Puntland had defeated before invasion by enemies, but now the focus should be on defending Puntland before it’s too late.” He told reporters
In the meantime, the regional forces continued battling militants in an effort o build momentum in pushing back militants who are trying to expand their presence in region.
The northern Somalia region had remained stable during over decades old conflict in Somalia which largely engulfed large parts in the south and central Somalia.