Sunday August 24, 2025
Bosaso (HOL) — The United States carried out airstrikes on
Islamic State (ISIS) positions in the Baallade Valley on Saturday night,
targeting areas where Puntland forces have struggled to dislodge militants,
security officials said.
The strikes, which lasted for several hours, hit multiple
sites in the Maraagade area — one of ISIS’s key strongholds — and were
reportedly heard in locations near Bosaso, a major port city in Somalia’s Bari
region.
Sources said U.S. drones also struck suspected ISIS hideouts
in the Biyo Kulule area after Puntland military officials reported sightings of
militants there.
Puntland forces, which suffered heavy casualties during
Friday’s battle in Maraagade, have not launched new offensives as security
agencies plan how to clear caves where ISIS fighters are believed to be hiding.
Officials said the operations are being delayed to avoid further losses.
A source close to the regional administration told HOL that
Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni has ordered troops to hold their
positions until U.S. strikes weaken ISIS’s defensive caves.
The latest clashes mark the most intense fighting in the
Calmiskaad Mountains in recent months, amid Puntland’s ongoing offensive to
dismantle ISIS strongholds in the region.
