Somalia: Puntland Forces Discover ISIS Leadership Bunker in Bold Strike Against Militant Stronghold

BOSASO, Somalia - An underground bunker believed to have been the main operation center for ISIS top leadership was discovered by Puntland forces on Monday, military officials confirmed, releasing footage of the hideout, which has since been abandoned by the militants.

The hideout, officials say, probably housed the ISIS leaders in Sheebaab, a town that has since fallen to local troops, who took firm control, Monday. To conceal the bunker, vegetables were planted above it, making it an ideal organizational hub for leadership.

A Puntland soldier filmed the site, and the footage has gone viral on social media. The cave is well connected with electrical power and has beddings, a confirmation that it was recently abandoned following a series of airstrikes in the region.

The discovery was made after the forces seized Sheebaab in Togga-Jeceel as the operation entered the third phase — and probably the most consequential part of this timely but challenging campaign.

According to officials, the captured base in Sheebaab was ISIS’s largest command center in Somalia, housing leadership, a court, training camps, and operational coordination. Images show it functioned as the de facto headquarters of ISIS’s self-declared “Wilaya of Somalia”.

The hideout had air ventilation pipes and was camouflaged with vegetation to resemble a farm, officials say. The forces seized fuel, weapons, and medical supplies left behind at a hospital used by ISIS militants.

Two mass graves were discovered in Sheebaab, according to the Puntland counterterrorism operation report. The graves are believed to be linked to past airstrikes targeting militant positions, reportedly carried out by the US and the UAE in the last few months.

Puntland's top military commander, Gen. Aadan Abdi Hashi, led the operations against militants, standing at ISIS’s largest command center in Sheebaab, where he lauded the forces for their commitment to eradicate terrorism in the state.

A fortified ISIS hideout cave, resistant to airstrikes, has also been discovered. Early this month, the US Africa Command confirmed the death of Ahmed Maeleninine, a senior ISIS operative who is believed to be a close associate of Abdulkadir Mumin, the global leader of ISIS militants.

GAROWE ONLINE