Puntland Captures Dozens of IS Foreign Fighters in Major Offensive

By Abukar Osman - Reporter

Somalia, 17 January 2026 Security forces in Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland region have captured dozens of foreign Islamic State fighters during a major counterterrorism operation in the Al-Miskaad mountains, the federal state announced on Saturday.

Puntland Counter-Terrorism Operations (PCO) unit officials said the detainees are members of Islamic State’s Somali branch and include nationals from Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Ethiopia, Yemen and Tanzania. The unit released photographs and a list of names of those it said had been captured.

The arrests are part of a broader military campaign known as Operation Hilaac, also referred to as the Almiskat operation, which was launched in late November 2024 to dislodge Islamic State fighters from their mountain strongholds in the Bari region.

While officials did not provide an exact figure, released photographs shows between 30 and 50 foreign fighters.

“Our heroic Puntland forces, with support from UAE and USA Africa Command have defeated ISIS in Almiskat.,” the PCO said in a statement, adding that the operation was in its final stages.

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The operation was conducted with technical and aerial support from international partners, including the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) and the United Arab Emirates, the regional administration said.

The Al-Miskaad mountain range has long served as a key logistical hub for Islamic State in Somalia, with its rugged terrain and extensive cave networks providing cover for militants.

Among those named in the official release were Hassan Rafad Atar and Sinaan Alican Kerem, both Turkish nationals, Ridwan Barekh Binu Huseas of Morocco, and Muqbil Husein Abdalla of Saudi Arabia. Officials said several Ethiopian and Tanzanian nationals were also among those detained.

Puntland authorities said previously their forces had cleared about 98 per cent of the Al-Miskaad mountain range and that operations would continue until remaining militant pockets in the Golis mountains were eliminated.

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