Sunday February 16, 2025
Garowe (HOL) – The United States has condemned last week’s ISIS attack on Puntland security forces in the Al-Miskaat mountains in the Bari region, where counterterrorism operations are ongoing.
The U.S. Embassy in Mogadishu issued a statement on Saturday expressing condolences to the families of Puntland soldiers killed in the attack.
“We condemn the ISIS terrorist attack against the Puntland forces on February 11 in Puntland. We offer our sincerest condolences to the families of the brave Puntland Security Forces soldiers who lost their lives in the attack,” the embassy said in a post on social media.
At least 30 Puntland soldiers were killed in a midnight suicide bombing targeting a Puntland army post in Togga Jecel, within the Al-Miskaat mountains.
The United States has intensified its counterterrorism efforts in the region, recently eliminating 14 ISIS operatives in targeted operations in the Al-Miskaat mountains.
According to Puntland officials, two major battles in Togga Jecel have resulted in the deaths of over 200 ISIS fighters, many of whom were foreign militants with prior combat experience in the Middle East. Also, recent airstrikes in the Shebaab area of the Al-Miskaat mountains killed more than 40 ISIS fighters, including senior commanders.
Puntland’s security forces, with support from international partners, continue to push forward in their campaign to eliminate ISIS strongholds in the region.
