Tuesday June 3, 2025

Bosaso (HOL) – At least ten ISIS militants were killed in new US airstrikes targeting militant hideouts in the mountainous areas between Balade and Miraale valleys, according to a statement released Tuesday by Puntland’s anti-ISIS operation command.

The airstrikes, conducted by the US Africa Command (AFRICOM), specifically targeted militants who had taken refuge in caves in the Shakalayan area, a rugged terrain between the two valleys. The militants were reportedly on the run following sustained operations in the region.

The latest strikes come just two days after Puntland’s Counter-Terrorism Service captured ISIS’s leadership headquarters in the Miraale Valley, including strategic water wells and defence posts that had been under the group’s control for years.

ISIS remnants are now believed to be regrouping near the Balade Rive, close to the city of Bosaso, a location considered strategic for sheltering from further air raids.

Military officials say the anti-ISIS operation is nearing its conclusion, with Puntland forces reportedly liberating all areas previously under ISIS control for the past 15 years.