Somalia: ISIS Claims Deadly Attack on Puntland Military Base

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The Islamic State militants (ISIS) have admitted to conducting attacks at a military base attached to the Puntland Regional Forces, leading to heavy clashes that left the group on the losing end based on the initial reports from Puntland officials.

Throughthe  Telegram Channel, the ISIS group took responsibility for the attack at a base located in the eastern parts of the Puntland region. The group lost over 10 fighters, including foreigners whose bodies were displayed by the regional security team.

In its statement, Islamic State said the attack was conducted by 12 militants and two booby-trapped vehicles, adding that it killed around 22 military personnel from the Puntland forces and injured dozens of others, Reuters reports.

Despite the claims, Puntland regional forces have not issued a rejoinder. However, after the attack, the regional forces displayed bodies of badly mutilated bodies purportedly of the IS militants, attached to the Somalia wing.

Captain Yusuf Mohamed, an officer in Puntland's counter-terrorism forces, told Reuters on Tuesday that nine suicide bombers had been killed and several soldiers had been injured, near the town of Dharjaale in the Bari region.

IS-Somalia's influence is growing in the Bari region and the group poses serious security challenges in Puntland, according to a report by the US State Department. The Department warned that if action is not taken, the group could destabilize the federal state of Puntland.

According to reports, the group’s financial fortunes had also increased, making it difficult for security teams in Puntland to handle them. Its leader Abdulqadir Mumin was named as the most dangerous person and designated by the Treasury Department of the United States.

Puntland is activating security operations in the Bari region to counter the growing influence of the militants, with another team targeting Galkayo where Al-Shabaab militants are also making inroads. The al-Shabaab controls most parts of southern regions.

GAROWE ONLINE