Puntland says ISIS Leader Escaped Amid Ongoing Offensive in Cal-Miskaad Mountains

BOSASO, Somalia, June 16  — Authorities in Somalia’s northeastern Federal State of Puntland confirmed that Abdulkadir Mumin, the leader of the Islamic State (ISIS) branch in Somalia, has fled the Cal-Miskaad mountain range amid an ongoing military offensive.

The spokesperson for Operation Hillaac, Gen. Mahmoud Ahmed Faadhigo, told local media that intelligence shared by international partners revealed Mumin had escaped the area earlier, although the exact timing and method of his departure remain unclear.

“Abdulkadir Mumin is no longer in Cal-Miskaad,” Faadhigo said, noting that security forces have regained control of 98% of the mountain range, which has been a stronghold for ISIS fighters over the past six months.

While the group's top leader has reportedly escaped, his deputy, Abdirahman Faahiye Isse Mahmoud — the operational commander of ISIS in Somalia — is believed to still be hiding in the area. “We are confident our forces will soon apprehend him,” Faadhigo added.

The development comes just a day after Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni announced the completion of the third phase of the anti-ISIS campaign, launching a fourth phase dubbed Onkod aimed at targeting the remaining pockets of militants hiding in remote areas.

President Deni stated that Puntland forces had encountered foreign fighters in Cal-Miskaad, including individuals from Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas. He claimed that the offensive had averted a serious threat to Somalia’s national security.

Security officials also revealed that, two days ago, Puntland forces captured a foreign national believed to be a white European fighter affiliated with ISIS — marking the first known instance of a foreign ISIS fighter being captured alive in Somalia in recent years.

The Puntland offensive, dubbed Operation Hillaac, has drawn support from international intelligence services and has been regarded as one of the region’s most extensive campaigns against ISIS elements entrenched in northeastern Somalia.

GAROWE ONLINE