Puntland State displays ISIS fighter bodies after U.S. airstrike in Calmiskaad mountains
Garowe (AX) — Puntland State regional forces on Wednesday put on display the bodies of more than 10 suspected Islamic State (ISIS) fighters killed in a U.S. airstrike in the Jaceel Valley area of the Calmiskaad mountain range.
Wednesday April 22, 2026
Garowe (AX) — Puntland State regional forces on Wednesday put on display the bodies of more than 10 suspected Islamic State (ISIS) fighters killed in a U.S. airstrike in the Jaceel Valley area of the Calmiskaad mountain range.
- Advertisement -
Military officials who reached the scene said the dead were linked to cells that had recently mounted attacks on Puntland State security units operating in the area. They said the militants had also struck Puntland State troops overnight, an assault that left one soldier dead.
Video from the site showed several bodies lying inside what appeared to be a crater or pit said to have been hit in the airstrike. The precise time of the strike could not be independently confirmed, including whether it was carried out earlier Wednesday or late on the previous night.
The episode follows a reported uptick in ISIS activity in parts of the Bari region, where security sources say militants have stepped up attacks on Puntland State forces in recent days.
ISIS remains a smaller but enduring threat in northern Somalia, where it continues to hold ground in remote areas despite ongoing counterinsurgency operations by Puntland State forces with support from international partners.