At least four soldiers have been killed and several others were wounded after heavily Al-Shabab fighters stormed a military base in Puntland State.
The attack began with a blast at the camp in Bali-Qatar village before the fighters overran the base following hours of fighting, according to residents.
Puntland military officials who spoke to outlet media said troops suffered casualties but they declined to give further details
The armed fighters, including a suicide bomber, reportedly attacked the base from different directions, forcing soldiers to retreat.
In a statement posted pro-Shabab media, the group said its fighters overran the base after engaging fighting with Puntland soldiers.
“We just left it peacefully after killing 7 soldiers and capturing 8 military cars of which seven of them we torched,” the statement said.
The region is also home to a splinter group of Al-Shabab that has sworn allegiance to Islamic State.
The attack comes hours after heavily armed Al-Shabab fighters seized Muqokori town after fierce fighting with Somali forces.
The group claimed to have killed over 30 soldiers during the fighting.
According to residents who spoke to Halbeeg News, Al-Shabab fighters pulled out of Muqokori hours after midnight.
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