MOGADISHU, June 10 (Xinhua) -- President of Somalia's Puntland region Abdiweli Mohamed Ali on Saturday called on the global community to support his administration in the fight against Al-Shabaab terrorists who have stepped up their onslaught in the region.
Ali who also condemned Thursday's deadly attack on the region's military base in Af-Urur, about 100km from the port city of Bosaso, and appointed a committee to assess the number of casualties in the incident.
"Al-Shabaab militants who attacked civilians and Puntland forces at Af Urur area committed a genocide. I commend Puntland forces for protecting their people and land from terrorists," he said.
Ali vowed to revenge on the militants following the attack that claimed lives of more than 30 soldiers.
"We call on the federal government of Somalia and the international partners to support us in the strong fight Al-Shabaab. We are committed to remove the terrorists from our region and enough is enough," Ali said.
Heavily armed militants stormed a military base in Somalia's semi-autonomous state of Puntland, killing over 30 people and injuring dozens more.
The assault began with a blast at the remote Af-Urur camp, about 100km west of the commercial hub of Bosaso, before the fighters overran the base and killed Puntland Dervish Army at close range.
Puntland's interior minister Abdi Hersi Ali said the militants killed fasting civilians, including elders before attacking the troops stationed at the base and dismissed the death toll figure given by the Al-Shabaab who had claimed they killed 61 soldiers, terming it "baseless".
