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BOSASO, Somalia — U.S. special operations forces, working with Puntland State’s Counter-Terrorism Forces, mounted a helicopter-borne raid on an Islamic State enclave in the Cal-Miskaad mountains on Tuesday, killing senior leaders and capturing fighters, according to U.S. Africa Command and Puntland State officials. The joint operation struck targets in Baallade Valley, with troops assaulting the HabarBajuuke cave complex after an exchange of fire with militants from IS-Somalia, officials said. U.S. Africa Command said the…

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Ethiopia’s top military commander said the country’s defense partnership with the United States will remain strong as both nations move to deepen cooperation on counterterrorism and regional stability — including support for Ethiopia’s push for peaceful access to the Red Sea. Field Marshal Berhanu Jula met Friday in Addis Ababa with a U.S. delegation led by Gen. Dagvin R. M. Anderson of U.S. Africa Command. Both sides discussed ways to bolster security in the Horn of Africa, where Ethiopia has…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is facing backlash after saying members of the al-Shabab extremist group can apply for Somalia’s new national ID cards — a move he argues will bolster national security and the economy but that critics warn could be counterproductive. Speaking at the 2nd Somali National ID Conference in Mogadishu, Mohamud said militants had told security agencies they were ready to register for the biometric program. “Let them take it — their fingerprints and their faces will be…

US Special Forces and Puntland State counterterrorism units on Wednesday carried out a coordinated raid on an ISIS hideout in Somalia’s Balade Valley, unleashing hours of gunfire and precision drone strikes that killed a senior commander and several militants, according to security sources. The joint operation inserted dozens of US troops by MH-60 helicopters and used MQ-9 Reaper drones to hit targets across the Habarbakuuje and Mareero areas of the valley, where intelligence indicated a fortified base was housing 10 to 15…

Kampala, Uganda — Uganda has halted the granting of refugee status to asylum seekers from Somalia, Eritrea and Ethiopia, citing an absence of active armed conflict in those countries and a steep decline in donor support that officials say is straining the country’s capacity to assist new arrivals. Hilary Onek, Uganda’s minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, said he has instructed officials to stop processing new claims from citizens of the three countries. The move comes even as Uganda continues to…

Trump administration orders sweeping re-review of Biden-era refugee admissions, freezes green-card processing WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has ordered a comprehensive review and re-interview of refugees admitted to the United States under former President Joe Biden, an unprecedented step that could reopen cases for roughly 233,000 people and halt their path to permanent residence, according to an internal government memo seen by Reuters. The memo, dated Nov. 21 and signed by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services…

Puntland State police officer and rickshaw driver killed in Garowe crash; presidential guard arrested after attempting to flee GAROWE, Somalia — A Puntland State police officer and a rickshaw driver were killed late Monday in a collision in central Garowe involving a vehicle driven by a presidential guard reported to be a close relative of the Puntland State president, authorities said. The crash occurred around 11 p.m. when the guard’s vehicle struck a rickshaw, according to a statement from the Puntland State Police…

Somali prime minister heads to Morocco for Medays International Forum MOGADISHU — Somali Prime Minister Hamsa Abdi Barre departed Tuesday morning for Morocco to attend the 17th Medays International Forum, where he is expected to outline Somalia’s priorities and the government’s agenda on security and governance as the annual gathering convenes leaders and experts from more than 120 countries. Hosted under the patronage of the King of Morocco, Medays will run Nov. 26–29 under the theme “Fractures and Polarization: Reinventing…

BOSASO, Somalia — At least five Islamic State militants were killed in U.S.-supported airstrikes in northern Somalia’s Puntland State region, local military officials said, as counterterrorism operations intensify in the Cal-Miskaad mountains and move into what authorities describe as their final phase. The strikes hit targets Saturday in the Barakalah area of Baallade Valley, a rugged corridor in the Cal-Miskaad range where Puntland State security forces have been battling ISIS cells for months. The fatalities were…

MINNEAPOLIS (AX) — Minnesota officials, immigration attorneys and Somali American leaders urged calm Monday and denounced “dangerous misinformation” after former President Donald Trump claimed in a social media post that he had immediately terminated Temporary Protected Status for Somali nationals — a move legal experts said he cannot make and that has not occurred. TPS for Somalia remains in effect through March 17, 2026, under a Department of Homeland Security designation that shields eligible Somali nationals from…