Puntland authorities confirm attack but deny death toll

The BBC’s Mohammud Ali has been finding out more about the al-Shabab attack in north-east Somalia in which the militant group says it killed 61 soldiers (see earlier entry).
He reports that the early morning attack happened close to the Galgala Mountains which at one time was a base for al-Shabab fighters in the aemi-autonomous Puntland region.
There is no official confirmation of the death toll so far, and while confirming the incident Puntland’s Security Minister Abdiaziz Hirsi denied the al-Shabab claims.
He said the authorities are still investigating the matter and will issue a comprehensive statement later.
Mohammud adds that Puntland has suffered al-Shabab attacks in the past, but this one has been described as the worst in recent years.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/