BOSASO, Somalia — U.S. Africa Command conducted a precision airstrike against ISIS-Somalia militants in northern Somalia’s Cal Miskaad mountain range on Wednesday, targeting positions in the remote Baallade valley of Bari region, roughly 70 kilometers southeast of the port city of Bosaso, according to military officials.
AFRICOM said the operation was carried out in coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia and the Somali National Army, describing it as a collective effort designed to disrupt and degrade the extremist group’s operational capability in Puntland State state.
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“AFRICOM and its partners remain committed to disrupting the activities of ISIS-Somalia to prevent the group from threatening the United States, its forces, and its citizens abroad,” the command said in a statement.
Specifics about the units involved, the aircraft or munitions used, and the precise outcome of the strike were not released. U.S. officials cited operational security for withholding tactical details and did not immediately provide casualty figures or an assessment of damage.
The strike comes at a sensitive moment for security in Puntland State. Local authorities have recently scaled back ground operations in the Cal Miskaad area, easing sustained pressure that had pushed ISIS-Somalia cells deeper into the region’s steep ravines and limestone escarpments. Regional intelligence suggests that while remnants of the group remain scattered in the mountains, their logistics networks—once sustained by clandestine couriers ferrying food and livestock—have been significantly disrupted in recent months.
Located along Somalia’s northeastern coast and framed by the Gulf of Aden, the Bari region’s rugged topography has long provided militants with concealment and difficult access, complicating ground assaults. U.S. and Somali officials say those geographic advantages also make precision airstrikes a key component of counterterrorism strategy when ground forces are repositioned or limited by terrain and security constraints.
Wednesday’s operation underscores Washington’s continued counterterrorism partnership with Mogadishu and regional authorities in the Horn of Africa. ISIS-Somalia, a smaller but persistent offshoot within the country’s complex militant landscape, has faced sustained pressure from federal and regional forces, with international support focusing on targeting leadership, safe havens, and supply chains.
AFRICOM framed the strike as part of ongoing efforts to limit the group’s reach beyond Somalia’s borders and reduce its ability to mount attacks that threaten regional stability. The command said it would continue to work with Somali partners in a manner intended to minimize risks to civilians while pursuing extremist targets in remote areas.
Further details about the strike and its impact were not immediately available.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
