Roadside bomb kills at least five Puntland State soldiers near Bosaso; ISIS-Somalia suspected
BOSASO, Somalia — At least five Puntland State Defense Force soldiers were killed and several others wounded Friday when a roadside bomb struck a military vehicle on the highway linking Bosaso and Dhaadaar in the Al-Khalifa area, security officials said.
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Local authorities said they believe the attack was carried out by the Islamic State group’s Somalia affiliate, which operates in the mountainous terrain of the Bari region. The blast targeted a vehicle traveling through a stretch of road that skirts foothills routinely used by militants to stage ambushes and retreat into hard-to-reach hideouts.
The bombing deepens concern over the pace and intensity of Puntland State’s campaign against ISIS fighters embedded in the Al-Khalifa and Calmiskaad mountain ranges. Critics within the region have accused authorities of easing pressure on the group in recent months, a lull they say has allowed militants to regroup and mount renewed attacks on security forces and communities.
Earlier this week, a security assessment was presented to the Puntland State Cabinet indicating ISIS elements continue to receive logistical support, according to security sources. The assessment pointed to provisions of food and livestock from sympathizers in rural communities, a flow of supplies that complicates counterinsurgency efforts and underscores the group’s residual networks.
Friday’s attack came three days after U.S. Africa Command conducted an airstrike against ISIS militants in the Baallade stream area of the Calmiskaad mountains, about 70 kilometers southeast of Bosaso. AFRICOM said the strike, carried out in coordination with the Somali federal government, aimed to degrade the group’s operational capabilities.
ISIS-Somalia, though far smaller than al-Shabab, has sustained a presence in northeastern Somalia for years by leveraging remote mountain sanctuaries as operational bases. From those positions, the group has conducted assassinations, bombings and extortion schemes, with much of its activity concentrated in Puntland State and along key commercial routes feeding the port city of Bosaso.
The Al-Khalifa corridor where the explosion occurred is strategically important, linking population centers and trade hubs that are vital to local economies. It has also been repeatedly targeted by insurgents seeking to disrupt troop movement and undermine public confidence in regional security forces.
Authorities did not immediately release additional details on the number of wounded or the condition of survivors. The casualty toll could rise as medics assess the injured and investigators comb the blast site for evidence pointing to the device’s construction and the route taken by the attackers.
Friday’s bombing underscores the enduring threat posed by ISIS-Somalia despite periodic military operations and international airstrikes. Security analysts say sustained pressure, tighter community engagement to choke off logistical lifelines and improved protection along vulnerable roadways will be critical to reducing the group’s capacity to strike.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
