MOGADISHU, SOMALIA (TIP): Heavily armed al- Shabab extremists have stormed a military base in Somalia’s semiautonomous state of Puntland, killing close to 70 people and wounding dozens more, officials said on June 8.

Residents said civilians, including women, were beheaded during the rampage. Officials called it the region’s deadliest attack in years, highlighting the twin challenges facing security forces from the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab and the growing presence of fighters linked to the Islamic State group.

The attack began with a blast at the remote Af-Urur camp, roughly 100 kilometers (62 miles) west of the commercial hub of Bossaso, before the extremists overran the base and killed soldiers at close range, said Ahmed Mohamed, a senior military official. Close to 70 people were killed, though an exact death toll was not yet available, Mohamed said. Abdi

Hersi Ali, Puntland’s interior minister, said troops suffered causalities but he declined to give further details. Residents in the area reported chaotic scenes, with fighters beheading several civilians they encountered. One witness, Abdibasit Hassan, said women were among those beheaded. “The situation is grim over there. This attack was an unexpected one,” Mohamed said. (AP)