Several ISIS militants killed in Puntland after clash with security forces

BOSSASO, Puntland - Security forces drawn from Puntland on Saturday killed several IS-Somalia militants in the northern state, where the group has been trying to create a base, but with their attempts flopping due to vigilance exhibited by the Puntland Security Forces.

The security forces, officials said, clashed with the militants at the mountainous region of Balidhidin district within Bari, a region which is often under the threat from the IS-Somalia militants, whose number cannot be told given the secrecy they operate in.

According to officials, Puntland Security Forces [PSF] raided group hideout after a tip-off about a planned attack. Troops sent as reinforcements came under IED on their way to the area but they managed to successfully thwart attempts by the militants to raid certain areas in the region.

The fighting, reports indicate, took place at Cal-Miskaad. Heavy weaponry was used but no casualties were reported, as the forces tried to stamp authority in the region, which is prone to attacks from both IS militants and the Al-Shabaab group, which subscribes to Al-Qaida ideologies.

Puntland is one of the regions which is least attacked by both Al-Shabaab and IS-Somalia militants due to robust security measures put in place by the regional leadership. There are no activities from the Somali National Army in the region.

Annually, regional security forces graduate before deployment to the mainstream forces, a move which has blessings from Puntland president Said Abdullahi Deni, the sixth president of the region which was formed in 1998.

IS-Somalia militants are often sighted at Goli mountains in Puntland and their activities are limited to Bosaso, the commercial capital of Puntland. The group often clashes with Al-Shabaab, thus making the fight against the Islamist militants easier.

GAROWE ONLINE