Thursday December 26, 2024
Garowe (HOL) – Puntland regional administration has announced plans for a large-scale military operation to eliminate ISIS militants in the Bari region.
Thousands of Puntland soldiers, equipped with military vehicles and weapons, have been deployed to the eastern part of Bari. Senior military officials have confirmed that the forces are prepared for a decisive campaign against the Islamic State group, which has established a stronghold in the area.
Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni has been leading the planning and operations from the Bari region for weeks as he recently underscored the severe threat posed by ISIS to Puntland’s security.
A November 2024 report from the U.N. Sanctions Monitoring Team for Somalia highlighted the growing influence of ISIS in Somalia, fueled by an influx of foreign fighters. According to intelligence estimates from U.N. member states, the group’s Somali affiliate, IS-Somalia, has doubled in size to approximately 600-700 fighters.
The report detailed how foreign fighters, including individuals from the Middle East, have used both maritime and overland routes to enter Puntland. These fighters have reportedly enhanced IS-Somalia’s capabilities, allowing the group to expand its influence in the Puntland region and compete with its al-Qaida-affiliated rival, al-Shabab.
Puntland is one of Somalia’s six federal states. It declared autonomy in 1998, though unlike the neighboring region of Somaliland, it has not sought to be recognized as an independent state. The region is estimated to contain at least a billion barrels of oil resources.
