Sunday March 2, 2025
Puntland security forces patrol rugged terrain in Somalia’s Bari region during a counterterrorism operation targeting ISIS militants. The region, known for its mountainous hideouts, has been a hotspot for insurgent activity as Puntland intensifies efforts to dismantle extremist strongholds.
Mogadishu (HOL) — Puntland security forces engaged in a deadly firefight with ISIS militants in Somalia’s Bari region on Sunday, killing multiple insurgents, including two foreign fighters, military officials said.
The battle erupted in Xabley, a remote village in the Ufayn district when Puntland troops encountered an armed group conducting reconnaissance. According to security sources, the fighters, identified as members of the ISIS faction in northeastern Somalia, opened fire, sparking a fierce engagement.
Local officials confirmed that at least several Puntland soldiers were killed in the skirmish, though the exact number of casualties remains unclear.
The firefight took place in a volatile area where ISIS has maintained a foothold. In January, the group carried out a deadly roadside bombing, killing 11 Puntland soldiers in an ambush that targeted a military convoy.
Puntland’s Hillaac Operation Command later reported that its forces had tracked and killed additional ISIS fugitives hiding in the rugged terrain of Cascasey and Dhaban-qoohle. Authorities displayed the bodies of two slain foreign fighters, underscoring the presence of non-Somali combatants within ISIS ranks.
Puntland has intensified its military campaign against ISIS, entering what officials describe as the third phase of operations aimed at dismantling the group’s strongholds in the region. President Said Abdullahi Deni has ordered military commanders to sustain counterterrorism efforts until the group is eliminated.
Although ISIS remains a smaller insurgency compared to Al-Shabaab, it has steadily expanded its influence in northeastern Somalia, carrying out assassinations, bombings, and extortion operations, particularly in remote mountainous areas. Puntland’s security forces, already engaged in frequent battles with Al-Shabaab, are now facing a dual-front insurgency—a reality that could further strain the region’s stability.
