GERILEY, Somalia [SMN] – A fierce battle took place last night in the Geriley area of Gedo region, between the Jubbaland Darwish forces and Al-Shabaab, local residents said.
The fighting came after Al-Shabaab fighters launched attack on the Geriley base, which was one of the bases recently handed over to Jubaland Darwish troops by ATMIS forces.
The latest reports say that Jubbalad forces are still in control of the base after they resisted the Al-Shabaab attack, as confirmed by Jubbalad Security Minister Yusuf Hussein Dhumal.
Last week, In Gherille, near the Kenya-Somalia border, the ATMIS commander of the FOB, Maj. Terence Shitanda Soita, handed over the facility to the Jubaland Security Forces (JSF) commander of the FOB, Lt. Col. Salan Afey, at an event witnessed by senior ATMIS and Somali National Army (SNA) officials.
The ATMIS military Chief Operations Officer, Col. Milton Katarinyeba, who was also in Gherille for the handover, appealed to the Jubaland Security Forces to remain vigilant and collaborate with Federal government forces to ensure the safety of the local population.
Jubbaland is one of the areas where Al-Shabaab is still strong, and it often carries out direct and explosive attacks on Jubbaland and Kenyan army positions in those areas.
