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Puntland retakes Gara’ad town hours after Al-Shabaab captured the town

Storyline:National News

Somali Islamist militants briefly held a port town in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland before withdrawing early Tuesday, a local government minister said.

More than 200 fighters from the group raided the town of Gari’ad town on late Monday where they rounded up locals in a mosque and preached them for hours before they order the locals to disperse.

Security Minister Abdi Herfi told reporters in Puntland’s regional capital, Garowe.

“Our soldiers secured Gariad town and began carrying out a security operation searching Alshabaab elements hiding in the town,” he said.

One of locals said the fighters hoisted their flag at an abandoned Administration Police post.

“They ordered everyone including women and children out of their houses to an open ground near a water point where they started giving us speeches on religion, they told us that they will not harm us,” Mohamed Abdi said.

He said women were required to cover their faces and sit away from men.

Residents also said that a curfew was imposed on that town on Sunday night that was followed by unusually active movement in the port, fuelling talk that al Shabaab was importing weapons and possibly fighters from abroad.

Al Shabaab also controls Haradhere, another port town in Puntland.

Al-Shabaab is experiencing some of the most successful months of its recent history.

Until recently, many had been tempted to suggest that the group was on its last legs as it faced a seemingly overwhelming military force in the form of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and SNA.

The Puntland coast lies near Yemen, where conflict is raging and al Qaeda is active. Al Shabaab is aligned to al Qaeda.