Bosaso (AX) — At least three civilians were killed and seven others seriously wounded on Wednesday after al-Shabab militants shelled the village of Galgala in Bari region of Puntland. The bombardment was followed by a brief clash between security forces and the attackers, according to local sources.
The attack began on Wednesday morning, when fighters based in the Cal Madow Mountains used mortars to target Puntland security forces’ positions in Galgala, which falls under Bosaso district.
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Several mortar shells struck residential areas, killing three people and wounding seven others, according to reports from the scene.
Puntland forces responded swiftly with heavy gunfire, and fighting broke out in the area for several minutes before the situation calmed.
The casualties suffered by Puntland security forces and al-Shabab fighters have not been independently confirmed, and neither side has provided details on deaths or injuries resulting from the fighting.
The shelling came just days after Puntland security forces carried out a planned operation in the Cal Madow Mountains, which have served for years as a refuge and hideout for al-Shabab militants.
Puntland military officials recently said they had killed four people suspected of belonging to al-Shabab, accusing them of planting mines along roads used by security forces in the Galgala area.
According to the officials, one of the mines killed a local traditional elder, while similar explosions had previously caused deaths and injuries among several soldiers.
Security officials also said Puntland forces later killed two men suspected of belonging to the militant group who had previously been wounded in an airstrike in the area.
There are still no independent sources to verify claims regarding the casualties inflicted on the militants.
The Cal Madow Mountains, a rugged mountain range in northern Somalia, have long served as a stronghold for al-Shabab fighters operating clandestinely in Puntland.
The Puntland administration previously announced a military offensive dubbed Operation Unkod, aimed at targeting al-Shabab bases in the mountains and preventing the group’s attacks on security forces and residents of nearby villages.
