Puntland State of Somalia
Garowe
PRESS RELEASE
15 February 2012
Somalia: Puntland Govt Rejects False Report of Terrorist Attack
Puntland Government strongly rejects false media reports of a terrorist attack near the commercial port city of Bossaso.
Reports broadcast by Mogadishu media, namely Radio Shabelle and Hiiraan Online, falsely claimed that 15 Puntland soldiers were killed in a militant ambush.
This report is false and there was no attack at Sugurre, a village where Puntland government forces maintain security checkpoints.
This false report is intentionally timed to coincide with the opening of the Second Somalia National Constitutional Conference (Garowe II). The Conference opened peacefully on time in Garowe on Wednesday 15 February 2012.
On 5 February 2012, Puntland government forces launched a successful counterterrorism operation and captured an explosives expert working for Al Shabaab terrorist group near Bossaso.
This explosives expert is the brother of Mohamed Said Atom who is loyal to Al Shabaab group and whom Puntland government forces expelled from mountain hideouts at Galgala in 2010.
Finally, Puntland Government urges Somali independent media to respect and abide by journalistic ethics, rules and regulations.
THE END
