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Puntland says key ISIS leaders killed in Calmiskaad offensive, new phase underway |
2025-07-06 |
[Garowe] Puntland ...a region in northeastern Somalia, centered on Garowe in the Nugaal province. Its leaders declared the territory an autonomous state in 1998. Puntland and the equally autonomous Somaliland seem to have avoided the clan rivalries and warlordism that have typified the rest of Somalia, which puts both places high on the list for Islamic subversion... defense forces officials said that seven senior Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allaharound with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not reallyMoslems.... (ISIS) leaders were killed during the latest phase of a military offensive in the Calmiskaad mountains of the Bari region, significantly weakening the group’s presence. The offensive, known as Operation Hilaac, entered its fourth phase this week after Puntland Counter-Terrorism Forces cleared ISIS fighters from a 420-kilometre stretch of mountainous terrain in northeastern Somalia. Officials named the Abdihakim Badiin (Yemen ...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of... ), head of policing Marwan Abdrizk (Tunisia), chief of imported muscle Barow Abdi Mo'alim (Somalia), administrative head Ahmed Salah Sudan ![]() i (Sudan), in charge of religious outreach Ibrahim Hayyan (Morocco), explosives chief Dr. Hakeem Ubeyda (Malaysia), head of medical operations Ahmed Muse Said (Somalia), external relations coordinator "The Hilaac operation, which started in December 2024, has so far wiped out nearly 85% of ISIS leadership in the region," a Puntland security source told Garowe Online, speaking on condition of anonymity ... for fear of being murdered... because they were not authorised to speak to the media. Authorities said Phase 4 of the operation is now underway, focusing on eliminating the remaining ISIS runaways and setting the stage for Operation Onkod, aimed at driving out al-Shabaab ... the Islamic version of the old Somali warlord... Puntland forces also presented a captured ISIS fighter, identified as Hassan Atar, a Ottoman Turkish national apprehended during recent operations. He is currently in jug and being interrogated. The oil-rich Puntland state has stepped up counter-terrorism efforts in recent months as ISIS and al-Shabaab compete for influence in the Bari region. Related: Puntland: 2025-07-01 Puntland Forces Launch Operation Against ISIS Remnants in Al-Miskad Mountains Puntland: 2025-06-28 Puntland Denies Reports of UAE Missile Installations in Bosaso Puntland: 2025-06-26 Good Morning Related: Calmiskaad mountains: 2025-06-21 Cleaning out Puntland’s Cal-Miskaad mountains: Puntland forces capture final hideouts of ISIS militants in Bari region Calmiskaad mountains: 2025-05-08 Puntland Acquires Combat Aircraft for the First Time in Anti-Terror Campaign Calmiskaad mountains: 2025-04-20 Somalia: Puntland forces conquer critical ISIS bases |
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