Puntland on Wednesday has officially confirmed that its administration has purchased war planes. Puntland Minister responsible for information, Mohamud Aidid Dirir who gave an interview to the Somali BBC has revealed that the news is true.
He said that the administration has brought war planes as well as ambulance planes. He stated that this is part of an ongoing effort to strengthen the operational capabilities of Puntland defense forces.
He said: “We bought war planes. Those that carry out airstrikes and helicopters intended for medical emergencies.” He went on to say that Puntland has the financial capacity to buy such planes. He disclosed that Puntland did not make consultations when it comes to the purchase of the war planes.
However, the minister has not disclosed the exact number of war planes that Puntland acquired. He stated that the war planes will participate air assaults against ISIS which was underway since the beginning of this year. He said that Puntland conducted the operations without getting any support from Somalia. He mentioned that Puntland received int’l support from the U.S. and UAE that assisted Puntland in the fight against ISIS.
