Friday February 28, 2025
Garowe (HOL) – Intelligence shared by a foreign government has revealed that Daasaan, a strategic area recently recaptured by Puntland security forces from the Islamic State (ISIS), served as a key operational hub for planning terrorist attacks worldwide, Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni said Thursday night.
Deni stated that three towns liberated from ISIS—Sheeban, Daasaan, and Dhaadaar—were central to the group’s operations beyond Somalia. He emphasized that the threat posed by ISIS extended beyond Puntland and underscored the region’s role in countering the group’s activities.
The president further disclosed that Daasaan provided a critical hideout for senior ISIS leaders attempting to evade targeted operations. He added that the militant group had long sought to seize control of Bosaso, Puntland’s commercial hub, as part of its expansion strategy.
According to Deni, ISIS had been devising major plans to destabilize Puntland in an effort to strengthen its presence in the region.
The Puntland government is set to launch the third phase of its military campaign against ISIS on Friday. Deni also announced a seven-day amnesty period for individuals seeking to surrender.
Puntland forces, supported by the Somali federal government, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates, have made significant gains against ISIS. This week, backed by UAE airstrikes, Puntland forces killed at least 44 ISIS militants in a counterterrorism operation targeting insurgent hideouts in the Al-Miskaad Mountains.
Somalia has been plagued by insecurity for years, with the main threats emanating from the terror groups al-Shabaab and ISIS.
