Yesterday the raid, today the recaptures start.
[Garowe] Puntland...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...
security forces responded to the al-Shabaab
...... al-Qaeda's tentacle in East Africa...raid in Bosaso main prison by carrying out several operations in the outskirts of the town, just at the same time when regional leader Said Abdullahi Deni visited the region, following the attack.
Thursday's raid at the central prison was one of the most successful al-Shabaab operations in Puntland, a state which is rather peaceful, and where it's difficult to have al-Shabaab turbans control some sections. Puntland is a state in northern Somalia.
Security forces told Garowe Online that at least 20 al-Shabaab turbans were killed in the outskirts of the port town following an offensive that was informed by the raid. Earlier on, at least four turbans were captured alive and will be interrogated by the security forces.
Details obtained by Garowe Online also indicate that the turbans were overpowered when they tried to attack security forces. Officials displayed dozens of people believed to be prisoners who had been freed by the al-Shabaab holy warriors.
One of the inmates recaptured reportedly said that the turbans made away with some prisoners. The holy warriors, who confirmed the attack at the prison, had claimed that they targeted freeing a number of fighters who were at the facility in Central prison.
Bari Regional Police chief Hussein Ali Mohamud had told news hounds that Death Eaters attacked Bossaso jail and we're "repulsed" by security guards. He said inmates were re-arrested, adding that security forces were still doing investigations over the incident.
Deni visited the region moments after the attack and was donned in military gear, an indication that his administration was ready to pursue the attackers and take swift actions against them. While Puntland has been registering terror attacks, they are however random and inconsistent given that the turbans are extremely few in the state.
Reports showed that the turbans used complex attacks with sources telling local news hounds turbans entered the prison. The al-Shabaab claimed to release 400 inmates, but no independent corroboration yet, but the photos published by Puntland officials indicate that a number of prisoners escaped.
The military in Somalia's semi-autonomous state of Puntland have recaptured 87 out of hundreds of prisoners who escaped on Friday after Islamist group al Shabaab fighters stormed a jail and freed them, according a statement from the military.
On Friday al Shabaab said they had freed 400 prisoners
...possibly that number was an exaggeration...
in a raid on the main prison in Bosaso, Puntland's largest commercial city, in the early hours of Friday.Seven Puntland military soldiers were also killed in the assault.
"We attacked al Shabaab militants that had attacked Bosaso central cell (prison)," Puntland military said in a statement.
"In this operation in the hilly areas outside Bosaso, we also recaptured the prisoners."
Mohamed Abdi, a soldier in Puntland's military separately told Reuters 87 prisoners had been recaptured and added some of the recaptured prisoners were members of al Shabaab while others belonged to Islamic State.
In the statement, Puntland's military said they had killed 20 al Shabaab fighters and captured four alive in a battle to free the prisoners.
87+20+4=111 accounted for thus far.