Tuesday February 18, 2025

FILE – A Puntland officer stands guard along the coastline of Bosaso, a strategic port city in northeastern Somalia. 

Bosaso (HOL) — Puntland security forces have arrested several suspected ISIS militants accused of running an extortion racket and carrying out bombings in Bosaso, a city that has long been a battleground for militant groups vying for control.

Colonel Abdiqadir Jama Dirir, the commander of the Bari regional police, said the suspects were responsible for collecting “zakat”—a form of Islamic charity that ISIS has repurposed into a system of forced taxation, targeting residents and businesses. Those who refused to pay were met with threats, violence, and, in some cases, deadly attacks.

“The public is cooperating with security forces, which has helped us make crucial arrests and gain the upper hand in this fight,” Dirir told reporters. “ISIS has lost its grip, and their ability to operate in Bosaso is diminishing.”

The arrests come amid Operation Hilaac, a large-scale military campaign launched in November 2024 to root out ISIS factions entrenched in the  Al-Miskaad mountains. The Puntland government has since ramped up its counterterrorism efforts, aiming to dismantle both ISIS and al-Shabaab networks in the region.

The United States has also taken an active role in countering the ISIS threat in Somalia. On February 1, 2025, U.S. Africa Command carried out airstrikes against ISIS-Somalia strongholds in the Golis Mountains, approximately 50 miles southeast of Bosaso. The strikes eliminated several high-ranking militants, including a senior attack planner. The Federal Government of Somalia has lauded the support from U.S. forces. 

Meanwhile, Puntland has intensified its offensive against ISIS, leading to the recapture of 250 square kilometres of territory and the destruction of 50 militant bases.

Bosaso, Puntland’s commercial hub, has served as a key ISIS revenue source for years. Businesses and residents, under threat of violence, were coerced into making payments to the group. However, since the latest military campaign began, traders have reportedly stopped complying, depriving the militants of a crucial funding stream.

Puntland’s government has vowed to continue its crackdown, citing the arrests as a turning point in its broader counterterrorism efforts. Security officials say the fight is far from over, but recent gains suggest that ISIS’s once-shadowy presence in the region is increasingly under siege.