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Fighting kills over 30 in north Somalia

12 May 2011 17:18 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Heavy clashes between government troops and militants have killed at least 30 people in the autonomous region of Puntland in northeastern Somalia, APA reports quoting Press TV.

Gunmen loyal to militant leader Sheikh Mohamed Atom attacked Puntland soldiers on Wednesday evening in Gal Gala town, located 40 kilometers (25 miles) southwest of the capital Bossaso, a Press TV correspondent reported.

Clashes broke out after the troops responded with heavy fire.

Heavy crackling of machine gun fire and artillery barrages could be heard inside the town and its suburbs. Clashes also left at least 89 people injured.

Gal Gala had initially fallen into the hands of heavily-armed militants, but they were later repulsed.

Atom is believed to be a key supplier of arms to the al-Shabab group that controls much of the rest of Somalia.

Last year, Puntland government forces launched several raids against Atom’s militants in the remote mountainous Gal Gala town.

In January, Puntland’s authorities announced that they had broken with the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) based in Mogadishu.

The measure was taken after Mogadishu government issued a statement saying that the TFG "does not represent Puntland in international forums" and that the United Nations Political Office for Somalia should "reconsider its position and support for the TFG at the expense of other Somali stakeholders."

Somalia has not had a functioning government since 1991, when warlords overthrew former dictator Mohamed Siad Barre.