ISIS

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…

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…

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…

BOSASO, Somalia — Puntland State’s counterterrorism forces say an airstrike carried out with international partners killed at least five fighters from the Islamic State group (ISIS) as they fled through the Cal-Miskaad Mountains, intensifying a sweeping operation in northern Somalia. Puntland State officials say the strike hit the Barakalash area of the Baalade Valley. At least five ISIS militants were killed, according to the Puntland State Counter-Terrorism Forces. Further details are expected from U.S. Africa…

Somalia: Islamic State deploys suicide attackers in Puntland State as offensive intensifies BOSASO, Somalia — Islamic State militants in Somalia launched suicide attackers against a Puntland State security position in the Miiraale valley on Saturday, prompting a fierce clash that left at least seven people dead as regional forces push deeper into militant strongholds in the Cal-Miskaad mountains. Assault and casualties Puntland State authorities said their forces repelled the attack and killed four militants at the scene.…

Somalia says E-Visa has choked ISIS travel pipeline Somalia’s defense minister says a new national E-Visa system has sharply curtailed the movement of ISIS fighters into the country’s northeast, where the group has long maintained a foothold in the Calmiskaad mountains. Ahmed Moallin Fiqi said that since the digital visa rollout, no foreign ISIS members have entered Somalia to join militants in the remote range. The statement underscores Mogadishu’s bid to tighten border controls after years of porosity exploited by…

Puntland State’s “victory” over ISIS-Somalia is tentative — and raises hard questions about what comes next BOSASO, Somalia — After nearly a year of focused operations in the Cal‑Miskaat highlands and the rugged valleys of Bari, Puntland State’s regional president declared this week that Islamic State–Somalia had been broken as a fighting force. Said Abdullahi Deni told members of the regional parliament that the campaign, launched in December 2024 with support from the United States and regional partners, had “destroyed…

Whoever Leads Them, ISIS in Somalia Keeps Fighting — and Its Leader’s Fate Remains a Mystery BOSASO, Somalia — After months of airstrikes, ground offensives and rumours, the fate of the man who once laid the foundation for ISIS in Somalia remains unresolved. Abdulkadir Mumin, the group’s widely recognised founder, has not been seen in public for months. His absence has left local communities, Puntland State authorities and international monitors speculating — and a violent campaign in the Al‑Miskaad mountains grinding on.…

As Puntland State claims new victories against ISIS in Cal‑Miskaad, deeper questions remain BOSASO, Somalia — For nearly a year, Puntland State’s security forces have been waging a gritty campaign against Islamic State-linked militants dug into the tangled ridges and cave networks of the Cal‑Miskaad mountains. Local commanders and officials now insist the offensive is paying off — with recent operations dislodging fighters from a strategic base and seizing several cave systems — but analysts and residents warn that military…

Puntland State launches multi-front assault on ISIS positions in Al-Miskad mountains Ceelka Il-Abbal, Somalia — Puntland State security forces launched a coordinated, multi-pronged offensive Monday against entrenched ISIS fighters thought to be sheltering in the remote Al-Miskad mountain range, officials said, stepping up a campaign to flush out some of the group's last visible leaders in northeastern Somalia. The operation, focused on the Ceelka Il-Abbal area — a maze of rocky ridges and dry gullies that have long offered…