Shabab militants killed dozens of people — soldiers and civilians, including children — when they stormed a military base on Thursday in northeastern Somalia, officials said.
Reports about the number of people killed in the attack in the semiautonomous Puntland region varied widely. A spokesman for the Shabab, extremists who regularly carry out attacks against the government, said fighters had killed more than 60 soldiers and made off with the military’s equipment. Somali officials said far fewer people had been killed.
The Shabab often claim to have killed more people in their attacks than the government will acknowledge.
President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed of Somalia expressed his sadness for the slain soldiers in a statement on Thursday. “They fought hard and bravely for their country, to keep their people safe during this holy month of Ramadan,” he said.