Ethiopian Jihadist with ISIS killed in Somalia's Puntland

GAROWE, Somalia - A senior IS-Somalia commander who hails from Ethiopia has been killed by regional troops of Puntland, the state confirmed in a statement, following a botched attack in one of the police stations within the coastal region of Bari where the militants have a presence.

Puntland said Abu Bara al-Yamani, who hails from the Amhara region of Ethiopia, was killed on Thursday after security forces repulsed a terror attack targeting Bali-Dhidin police station within the Bari region. The commander has been on the radar in Somalia for a number of months.

His death was regarded as a major "victory" in the fight against violent extremism in Somalia, a country that is also struggling to eliminate Al-Shabaab militants. Both IS-Somalia and Al-Shabaab have tapped foreign fighters into their systems and have been targeting both Kenya and Ethiopia.

IS-Somalia has struggled to grow and expand territory past the Bari region of the Puntland party because of formidable security teams and Al-Shabaab animosity. The group has been at loggerheads with Al-Shabaab militants for a number of years and seemingly lost the fight.

The IS-Somalia militants are said to have recruited fighters from Ethiopia and Yemen but the number keeps reducing due to logistical challenges. The group rarely wages attacks in Bosaso and other neighboring towns due to the heavy presence of security forces within the Puntland region.

On Thursday, Bari region police commander Abdulkadir Jama Dirir said overnight IS attack on Balidhidhin police station ‘repulsed.’ A policeman and a militant were killed in the ensuing firefight, in an apparent reference to the commander, who was not immediately identified.

On August 19, 2021, IS-Somalia attacked Balidhidhin killing mayor Mohamed Ahmed Mumin, in what remains one of the worst attacks within the state. Puntland has pledged to work closely with the federal government of Somalia forces as the country counties with an offensive against the militants.

The IS-Somalia and Al-Shabaab have been creating havoc in the country by persistently attacking members of security forces and innocent civilians. The US and the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia [ATMIS] have pledged to assist the country in effectively handling the militants.

GAROWE ONLINE