Af Urur
Town in Puntland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Af Urur is a town in the Puntland state of Somalia, located on the Golis Mountains, somewhat far from Bosaso, but its exact location is not known.[1] The settlement is placed at a strategically important location, and has thus become strongly contested during the Somali Civil War.[2] One of the most prominent clans in the village are the Tiinle.[3]
Af Urur | |
|---|---|
Town | |
  Af Urur | |
| Coordinates: 10°50′21″N 48°55′55″E[1] | |
| State |  Puntland |
| Region | Bari, Somalia |
History
Promixal to the al-Shabaab-controlled Galgala hills, the village has been attacked and captured by the militant group several times.[4] Af Urur contains a camp for a contingent of the Darawish paramilitary group, which have been fighting al-Shabab.[5]
In June 2017, Af Urur was the site of an attack by al-Shabaab militants against a Somali military encampment, leading to between 20 and 70 deaths.[6][4] It was one of the deadliest al-Shabaab attacks in Puntland.[6][4]
Al-Shabaab again attacked and fully occupied the village on 20 July 2018.[7] Af Urur was subsequently retaken by Puntland's military, but the local garrison retreated on 8 June 2019, allowing al-Shabaab to capture it once again.[8] On 11 June, Darawish troops counterattacked, and restored control over Af Urur.[9]