MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – The United States and the United Arab Emirates carried out two separate airstrikes targeting ISIS militants in northeastern Somalia’s Bari region on Sunday, Puntland counterterrorism operations office said.
The air raids coincided with an ongoing offensive by Puntland security forces to dislodge the extremist group from its strongholds in the area.
The UAE military conducted the first strike, targeting an ISIS hideout in a cave located in the Hankookib area near Dhasan village within the Al Miskad Mountain range. Officials reported that the operation destroyed a weapons depot, military vehicles, and killed several fighters, as cited by Garowe Online, a local news outlet.
The U.S. military followed with a second airstrike, hitting another cave in the Darar Madobe area. This operation also reportedly destroyed militant vehicles and resulted in casualties among ISIS fighters. However, independent verification of the strike’s impact remains challenging due to the remote and inaccessible nature of the area.
The Al Miskad Mountain range, where the strikes occurred, is largely inaccessible by vehicle, requiring travel on foot. This has limited media access to the area, leaving regional authorities as the primary source of information.
Puntland security forces have been engaged in a sustained military campaign to root out ISIS from its hideouts in the Bari region. Officials have reported daily progress, but the fighting remains intense and ongoing. The operation has come at a high cost, with hundreds of regional troops killed or wounded in recent weeks, including senior military commanders.
ISIS militants have continued to wage deadly attacks, often using fighters equipped with explosives. Last week, a suicide bombing and infantry attack claimed by the group resulted in significant casualties among Puntland forces. While officials claimed to have repelled the assault and killed 70 militants, dozens of regional troops also lost their lives, underscoring the ferocity of the conflict.
The Puntland operation has so far received limited support from Somalia’s federal government and international partners.
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