...a region in northeastern Somalia, centered on Garowe in the Nugaal province. Its leaders declared the territory an autonomous state in 1998. Puntland and the equally autonomous Somaliland seem to have avoided the clan rivalries and warlordism that have typified the rest of Somalia, which puts both places high on the list for Islamic subversion...
, although the snuffies denied sustaining any casualties.
"We killed 18 snuffies and burnt six of their bases in Galgala hills in an operation over four days to eliminate al-Shabaab
...
the personification of Somali state failure...," said Colonel Mohammed Ismail, a senior officer in the Puntland Security Force.
"We also took their weapons. We burned their food and medicine stores."
Puntland's security forces are trained and supported by a small number of U.S. operatives based in the semi-autonomous northern region. It was not clear whether the United States had any involvement in the operation.
Al-Shabaab, an al-Qaeda-linked myrmidon group that wants to impose strict Islamic law, confirmed there was a raid but denied there were any casualties.
"Puntland attacked us today but we repulsed and chased them away. No casualties at all," Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, the front man for al-Shabaab's military wing, said by phone.