GAROWE (Kaab TV) — Puntland Defense Forces on Wednesday announced they had taken control of the Garooba well in Baallade valley, a site recently used as a hideout by ISIS fighters.
Military officials said specially trained units launched a pre-dawn operation and seized the well without encountering resistance.
ISIS militants who had been stationed in the area reportedly fled before the troops advanced, leaving behind a small cache of supplies.
The Ministry of Information described the capture as part of the final phase of operations to dismantle ISIS in Puntland.
Officials warned, however, that the group may attempt to exploit the current rainy season, following months of drought that had limited its movement and offensive capacity.
“ISIS has abandoned direct confrontations. They now rely on ambushes by small groups of 8–10 fighters, often supported by snipers,” the ministry said in a statement. “Defense forces must remain vigilant.”
The ministry added that ISIS remains in a “poor logistical situation” after nearly a year of sustained military pressure and urged the public to remain alert and report any attempts by the group to secure supplies or local support.
Puntland forces have been fighting ISIS-Somalia since December last year, when the region launched a large-scale counterterrorism operation in the mountainous areas of Bari, the main hideouts of the extremist group in northeastern Somalia.