Nearly 70 dead in al-Shabab attack on Somalia military base

Heavily armed al-Shabab extremists have stormed a military base in Somalia’s semi autonomous state of Puntland, killing close to 70 people and wounding dozens more, officials say.

Residents say civilians, including women, were beheaded during the rampage.

Officials are calling it the region’s deadliest attack in years, highlighting the twin challenges facing security forces from the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab and the growing presence of fighters linked to the Islamic State group.

The attack began with a blast at the remote Af-Urur camp, roughly 100 kilometers (62 miles) west of the commercial hub of Bossaso, before the extremists overran the base and killed soldiers at close range, says Ahmed Mohamed, a senior military official.

Close to 70 people were killed, though an exact death toll was not yet available, Mohamed says.

— AP