Islamic State attacks military bases in Somalia

The Islamic State armed group on Monday night attacked military bases in the northeastern Puntland state of Somalia with suicide car and motorbike bombs.
Puntland announced a major offensive against Islamic State and a rival Islamist group, the al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab, in December claiming to have killed dozens of foreign fighters, captured several IS bases, and forced a senior commander to surrender.
“Last night after midnight, IS fighters attacked us in the recently liberated bases with suicide car and motorbike bombs. Many IS infantry attacked us, and the fighting is still ongoing,” a Puntland military spokesperson, Mohamud Fadhigo said.
DAILY POST reports that the Islamic State faction in Somalia has become an increasingly important part of its parent organisation’s worldwide network in recent years, and was the target of US air strikes earlier this month.
According to Somalia’s state news agency, security forces had repelled attacks on military positions in the Hagaaro and Togo-Jecel areas of Puntland’s Cal Miskaad mountains.
Islamic State attacks military bases in Somalia