Wednesday February 12, 2025

Bosaso (HOL) — Puntland intelligence officials have uncovered a systematic effort by the Islamic State (ISIS) to forcibly recruit foreign migrants, using deception and coercion to expand its foothold in the region.

A senior intelligence officer, speaking to The Washington Post, detailed how ISIS preys on vulnerable Oromo migrants seeking to reach the Middle East through smuggling networks. Instead of aiding their passage, the militant group forces them into its ranks, exploiting their desperation.

Puntland intelligence reports a surge in foreign fighter recruitment since 2022, with ISIS prioritizing individuals possessing specialized technical skills. According to intelligence sources, the group actively sought Syrians and Tunisians with expertise in drone technology and explosives manufacturing to enhance its operational capacity.

Authorities in Puntland are currently detaining over a dozen individuals who claim they were forced to join ISIS. Among them is a Yemeni national arrested after an unsuccessful attempt to bomb a police checkpoint in Bosaso last week.

While some detainees assert they were coerced, Puntland intelligence officials caution that not all claims can be independently verified.

One detainee, a 17-year-old Ethiopian, said he was just 15 when he and two friends fled conflict and drought in Ethiopia’s Oromia region, hoping to find work in the Gulf states. However, after crossing into northern Somalia two years ago, they were captured by ISIS fighters.

He recalled that an Oromo-speaking cleric within the group attempted to indoctrinate them, persuading them to become fighters. After undergoing military training, he was deployed to a frontline base to battle Al-Shabaab. He secretly hoarded supplies and eventually escaped ISIS captivity.

Three Tanzanian detainees who were transferred to an intelligence facility blindfolded provided similar testimonies. They claimed they had been lured into ISIS ranks over the past 18 months through false promises of employment.

Despite these revelations, Puntland intelligence officials say their counterterrorism operations have significantly weakened ISIS’s presence in the region. Since launching a military offensive in the Al-Miskaad Mountains, Puntland forces claim to have killed more than 150 ISIS militants and seized 50 of their outposts.