EU Denies Involvement in Puntland Assault
Nairobi (SDN)-No one has claimed responsibility for the aerial bombardment of the coastal town of Gunbax located between Baargaal and Haafuun in the eastern region of Somalia that took place during the early hours of April 17th 2012.
It appears that the attack was intended to target areas known as pirate strongholds. Multiple civilian casualties were reported after residents in the area awoke to the sound of bombs and artillery hitting homes. According to the area’s administrator Farah Ali, many citizens are worried about more attacks.
European Union forces have recently started a policy of conducting anti-piracy activities along the shoreline of Somalia in order to target the towns and villages that pirates use as bases.
EU forces conducting the anti-piracy mission dubbed ‘Atlanta’ have been given permission to target pirate resources including fuel, ships and other equipment located along the eastern coast of Somalia.
However, a spokesman for the EU forces told journalists that they are unaware of military activity in Gunbah.
The United States has also previously undertaken aerial bombardment in some areas of Somalia using unmanned drones however they have not claimed responsibility for this latest attack in Gunbah.
The government of Puntland has not made a statement about the recent attack on Somali civilians in their region.
The mysterious circumstances of the latest military activity in Puntland follows the contentious use of mercenaries and military contractors, most notably Blackwater by the regional administration of Puntland and the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia which has raised questions about public safety and government accountability in a region that is plagued by insecurity and poor oversight.
SDN-Nairobi