Puntland

Thursday April 23, 2026 Garowe (AX) — Puntland State has moved to tighten its grip on the region’s coastline, announcing a sweeping crackdown on illegal fishing and warning that Somali and foreign operators caught violating maritime rules will face firm legal consequences. In a statement released Wednesday, the Puntland State Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources said it would step up patrols and inspections to curb illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, a practice officials say is degrading marine…

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. 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.…

Monday April 20, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) – The United States Africa Command said it launched an airstrike in Puntland State on Friday, hitting Islamic State fighters in rugged terrain roughly 30 miles southeast of the port city of Bosaso in the Bari region. In a statement released Saturday, AFRICOM said the operation was carried out on April 17, underscoring the continued expansion of U.S. air activity in Somalia. The command gave no additional information about the strike, including casualty numbers or damage assessments,…

Sunday April 19, 2026 Garowe (AX) — In a sweeping move aimed at tightening security and revitalizing state institutions, Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni on Saturday appointed new police commanders and military court officials. The changes affect several key branches of the Puntland State Police Force, while also bringing in judges and prosecutors for the armed forces courts, which were dissolved nearly a year ago. Deni named Abdulqadir Jama Dirir as second deputy commander of the Puntland State Police Force. He…

AXADLE, Somalia — Puntland State has said Somalia has slipped into a constitutional vacuum, warning that the country’s political atmosphere is growing more fragile and urging immediate talks to avert deeper instability. In a statement issued Thursday, Puntland State’s cabinet said that under Article 60 of Somalia’s provisional constitution, the mandate of the Federal Parliament expired on April 14, 2026. It also said the term of the president of the Federal Government of Somalia will come to an end on May 15, 2026, in line…

Friday April 17, 2026 Garowe (AX) — Puntland State’s Cabinet has called on President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to work toward a broad political settlement on Somalia’s elections, warning that a prolonged standoff could deepen the country’s instability. The appeal came after a Cabinet session chaired by Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni, during which ministers examined the national political climate following the official expiration of the federal parliament’s four-year mandate on April 14, 2026. “The Council calls on…

AXADLE, Somalia — Puntland State’s ministerial council on Thursday pressed Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to use the last month of his tenure to forge a broad political settlement, warning that uncertainty is deepening as key federal mandates run out. The appeal came after a cabinet session led by Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni, where officials examined the country’s political situation. The debate has sharpened since the federal parliament’s mandate officially expired on April 14, 2026. "The Council…

Tuesday April 14, 2026 Garowe (AX) — Puntland State’s Minister of Interior, Abdi Hirsii Ali Qarjab, accused Somalia’s federal government on Monday of mounting a political and security offensive against the semi-autonomous state. In remarks to reporters, Qarjab said Puntland State is watching developments in the country closely and is ready to defend its territory if the need arises. “Puntland State has always stood for strengthening the unity and cooperation of the Somali people,” he said. “We expected development, security…

Saturday April 11, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — U.S. Africa Command, working with the Federal Government of Somalia, carried out airstrikes against ISIS-Somalia on April 6 and 7, officials said. In a statement released Friday, AFRICOM said the strikes hit targets in the Golis Mountains, about 55 to 75 kilometers (34 to 47 miles) southeast of the port city of Bossaso in northeastern Somalia. AFRICOM said the mission was intended to weaken ISIS-Somalia’s capacity to plan and launch attacks that could endanger the U.S. homeland,…

Wednesday April 8, 2026 Garowe (AX) — Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni has placed the region’s security forces on full alert, citing a mix of threats that he said range from terrorism and piracy to infiltration from within. Addressing senior officers and troops on Monday in Qardho district, Deni said Puntland State was fighting what he called a “just war” to protect its people and its territory. “Puntland State is waging a just war to defend its people and its land,” Deni said. “We will not give our forces wrong…