Hiiraan Online
Friday May 6, 2016
BOSSASO (HOL) – The security minister of the semiautonomous state of Puntland has been wounded during an infighting by military and police soldiers in the region’s commercial hub of Bossaso, officials said on Thursday.
Security officials told HOL that a bullet struck Mr. Abdi Hersi Qarjab in the thigh after clashes erupted between soldiers escorting military and police officials during soldiers’ head count exercise.
Nine soldiers were also wounded during the clashes that lasted for more than 30 minutes.
According to officials, the development comes as Puntland president is expected to make army chiefs and cabinet reshuffle in the next few weeks.
Punland had recently declared a key victory over fighters the Al-Qaeda linked fighters who overrun towns in the region after security forces launched a decisive counterattack against Al Shabab fighters who tried to expand the group’s presence in the region amid a military pressure militant group is facing in southern and central Somalia after allied forces continued pushing deeper into rebel strongholds and seized most of their key strongholds.
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.