region a day after the militants briefly captured Garacad town.
Reports indicate the militants allied to the Islamic State in syria
and Iraq, ISIL were heading to Qandala mountains in Bari region where
they willing to join other militants there.
The militants Tuesday seized the port town of Garaad before they were
overpowered by Puntland forces.
About 200 militants arrived in boats in Garad and immediately took
over the town before cutting off communication lines.
The development comes amid allegations by Puntland government that the
federal government in Mogadishu was using Al-Shabab to intimidate them
into accepting the clan based 4.5 electoral formula for the August
presidential and parliamentary polls.
Puntland security minister Abdi Hersi Ali Tuesday said the federal
government was intent on forcing them to accept the model by
sponsoring Al-Shabaab to attack some parts of the state.
"We shall defend Puntland by ourselves and I urge people of Puntland
to be ready. These militants used the Hobyo-Harardere route and the
Federal government is part of this," said Ali
The federal government announced late January it had settled for the
4.5 option but Puntland has persistently rejected the model instead
fronting the district based system.
Al-Shabaab launched an offensive to purge its group of ISIL affiliates
last year killing a number of them in various parts of the country.
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