Several killed in Somalia after militants storm prison

At least seven soldiers have been killed when fighters of the Somalian armed group Al Shabab stormed a jail in the semi-autonomous state of Puntland, police and the group said.

Al Shabab said it had freed at least 400 prisoners, many of them its members, in its assault on the main prison in Bosaso, Puntland’s largest city, in the early hours of Friday.

The authorities did not confirm that figure.

“Last night many well-armed men attacked us from various directions. We fought back but finally they entered the central jail by force using explosions. They freed the prisoners and took most with them,” Mohamed Abdi, a prison guard, told Reuters.

“There was a hellish battle… As I fought inside, we lost five soldiers.”

He said two other soldiers who had been sent to reinforce the regular prison guards were killed in their car which was set on fire.

Source: TRT World