Puntland Offensive Deals Blow to ISIS in Somalia

Puntland Security Forces patrol in Balidhidin village in Bari Region, east of the Gulf of Aden in the city of Bosasso, Puntland region, Somalia January 26, 2025 REUTERS/Feisal Omar

Forces from Somalia's semi-autonomous Puntland region have captured swathes of territory from ISIS during a weeks-long offensive they hope will draw increased international support, according to officials and Reuters reporters.
The advances come against an ISIS faction that has gained in importance and was the target last week of the first airstrikes of U. President Donald Trump's new administration.
Before those strikes, Reuters reporters who gained rare access to the village of Balidhidin, which ISIS controlled for a decade, saw Puntland security forces patrolling and residents circulating on foot near the carcasses of army trucks destroyed in recent fighting.
The village is in the middle of the northern Golis Mountains, which are the stronghold of ISIS in Somalia and were also the site of the US strikes. Villagers said security forces had captured other areas too.
Many in Balidhidin had fled the harsh rule of the militants, especially after they killed the district commissioner in 2021. They took refuge in nearby villages and the port city of Bosaso.
"There was a lot of fear. We were threatened," said Saido Abdirahman, who had just returned to Balidhidin. "Although we were mothers who were indoors, there was fear which made people flee."
ISIS in Somalia - with an estimated 700 to 1,500 fighters in Puntland's mountains - is much smaller than al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab, which controls large parts of southern and central Somalia. But it has become an increasingly important part of its parent organization’s worldwide network in recent years, analysts say.
It has been aided, officials and analysts say, by an influx of foreign fighters from the Middle East and other African countries and revenues earned by extorting local businesses.
Some media outlets reported last year that its head, Abdulqadir Mumin, had become ISIS's global leader, citing US officials. ISIS has not confirmed the move.
CALL FOR SUPPORT
The US military has carried out periodic airstrikes against the group for years and also helped train Puntland's security forces.
Mohammed Aided, Puntland's information minister, told Reuters that the region's security forces had captured 250 square kilometers, including 50 bases, from ISIS since December 31 in the biggest offensive against the group in years.
Puntland's military spokesperson told Reuters on Thursday that the security forces had killed at least 85 ISIS militants in battles over the past two days, while 17 soldiers also died.
Aided said there was no coordination on the operations with the federal government in Mogadishu, which Puntland's government stopped recognizing altogether last year, and called for more foreign support.
"This is an international war on terror. We request the international community to supply with us experts, hardware, anti-mines, and anti-drone facilities that can jam drones of terrorists. It is a difficult war," Aided said.
Matt Bryden, a Somalia analyst and co-founder of the Sahan Research think tank, said the Trump administration, some of whose members have publicly derided the Mogadishu government as weak, might look to boost direct security cooperation with local authorities like Puntland to fight ISIS and al Shabaab.
"There's already a recognition that the federal government of Somalia is no longer really a credible partner in fighting against armed extremist groups," he said.
In response to written questions, Information Minister Daud Aweis said the Somali federal government appreciates the support of international partners and "maintains ongoing security engagements with relevant stakeholders, including Puntland, to ensure the effectiveness of counterterrorism operations."
"Strengthening Somalia’s federal institutions and ensuring a cohesive national strategy remain critical for sustainable security and stability," he said.
The US State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.