Monday October 13, 2025
Puntland security forces advance through rugged terrain in the Al Miskaad mountains during an ongoing operation against ISIS militants on Monday, October 13, 2025. Authorities say the offensive targeted El Il-Abbal, a suspected hideout of the group’s deputy leader, as fighting intensifies in northeastern Somalia.
Bosaso (HOL) — Puntland security forces launched a major offensive Monday on an ISIS stronghold in the Al Miskaad mountain range, targeting what officials believe to be the hideout of the group’s deputy leader in Somalia, Abdirahman Faahiye Isse Mahmoud.
Security sources told Hiiraan Online that troops carried out a coordinated dawn assault on El Il-Abbal, a mountainous base used by ISIS fighters as one of their main operational hubs in the Bari region. The area has been under surveillance for months due to intelligence suggesting senior ISIS commanders were regrouping there following recent setbacks.
El Il-Abbal lies deep in the Qansahdheere valley, near the coastal villages of Buru and Ba’aad, both within the Bosaso district. The rugged terrain and proximity to the sea provide natural defences and potential escape routes for militants, making it a strategic refuge for the group’s leadership.
Initial field reports indicate casualties among ISIS fighters, with several bodies found near the battlefront. Officials have not released the number of government casualties, and Puntland’s security command has yet to issue a formal statement.
The ISIS faction in Somalia, which split from Al-Shabaab that year, has maintained a limited but resilient presence in northeastern Somalia, conducting assassinations, extortion, and smuggling activities along the coast.
More details are expected as Puntland authorities provide official updates.