Puntland dismisses reports saying Al-Shabaab captives in Puntland were freed

The semi-autonomous regional state of Puntland has refuted claims saying it released some Al-Shabaab captured in the fighting between Puntland forces and the group in Mudug region.

The region’s justice minister, Salah Habib Jama’a has said that Puntland is about to conclude the investigation of the prisoners and would be arraigned in court soon.

“We say no one among those captured in the fighting was freed, they are waiting to appear before a court,” said Jama’a.

In march this year, more than 200 fighters from Al-Shabaab group briefly held a port town of Gara’ad in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland before withdrawing early next day following offensives from Puntland forces.

After seven days of fighting, Puntland declared the conclusion of the battle saying it killed 173 Al-Shabaab fighters and 55 others captured

Speaking to reporters in Garowe town that time, Puntland Information Minister, Mohamud Hassan So’adde said that 173 fighters including foreign fighters were killed by Puntland in a weeklong fighting in Suuj and Dhinowda villages while 55 militiamen were nabbed with their rifles.

Puntland, which occupies a region of northeastern Somalia, declared itself to be an autonomous state in 1998 but remains under the purview of the Somali federal government. It borders the breakaway state of Somaliland, which declared independence following the overthrow of Somali military dictator Siad Barre in 1991.

Puntland lies outside the area of operation of the African Union mission in Somalia—known as AMISOM—which deploys some 22,000 troops in the Horn of Africa state.

AMISOM and the Somali National Army drove Al-Shabab out of its strongholds in southern Somalia in 2015, but the group has since reportedly moved northwards into parts of Puntland.