Friday April 18, 2025
Garowe (HOL) — Puntland security forces launched a coordinated offensive Friday targeting Islamic State (ISIS) remnants in the Calmiskaad mountain range of Bari region, seizing weapons and dismantling what officials described as the group’s last major stronghold in the area.
According to Puntland security officials, the multi-pronged operation focused on Togga Miraale, long considered ISIS’s most fortified position in northeastern Somalia. Forces reportedly captured large quantities of weapons and overran strategic bases, though they did not disclose the number of militants killed in the operation.
“The forces successfully neutralized the last line of ISIS defenses in Togga Miraale,” said one senior security source. “It took over a month due to the extensive fortifications and harsh terrain.”
The Calmiskaad offensive, which has unfolded in multiple phases, has pushed the remaining ISIS fighters into a handful of defensive trenches, officials added.
ISIS-Somalia, a UN- and U.S.-designated terrorist organization, emerged in 2015 as a splinter group from Al-Shabaab. While significantly smaller in size and capability than Al-Shabaab, ISIS-Somalia has maintained hideouts in the rugged Golis Mountains and surrounding areas in Puntland.
Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni is expected to address the public in a speech highlighting the operation’s success and outlining next steps for security stabilization in the region.
The U.S. military and UAE government have also supported Puntland operations through airstrikes and intelligence cooperation as part of wider efforts to disrupt ISIS-Somalia’s operations in the Horn of Africa.
