The leader of Somalia’s Puntland State of Somalia, Abdullahi Said Deni, has called on the Federal Parliament to launch an investigation into a report by the New York Times that linked the State of Qatar to a bomb attack in the city of Bosaso.

“I call upon the committees of the Upper House and the Lower House of Parliament of Somalia to carry out a credible investigation into [the New York Times report],” Deni said.

“I’m not saying [what was contained in the report] is the final truth, but it has strengthened the suspicion that many people had in the past that many acts that undermine security were orchestrated outside Puntland,” he added.

Deni said that the New York Times is a renowned newspaper in a country where the rule of law is respected and therefore its reports seem very credible.

Meanwhile, the opposition Wadajir Party condemned what it called Qatar’s “sinister use” of Daesh and Al-Shabaab militant groups to undermine security in Somalia.

“This information [New York Times report] reinforces previous suspicions by many Somalis regarding the link between terrorist groups in the country and the Qatari Government,” the party said in a statement.

The Qatari Government has denied the report accusing it of having links to the bomb attack.

Qatar’s communications office released a statement that Khalifa al Muhannadi who was mentioned in the New York Time’s report over phone recordings “is not and has never been an advisor of any sort to the government of the State of Qatar, does not represent the State of Qatar and had no right to comment on behalf of the government”.

“We will be investigating this individual and he will be held responsible for his comments, which we reiterated do not represent our principles,” says the statement.