Speaking about recent developments, Col. Mahmoud Shire said an ISIS-linked foreign fighter detonated himself on Wednesday night after being wounded by Puntland security forces.

According to the commander, the militant was attempting to plant a roadside bomb along the route connecting the Sheebaab and Dhaadaar areas when troops engaged him.

The commander said Puntland forces injured the suspect before he carried out the planned attack, leading him to trigger the explosives he was carrying.

The incident is part of a broader campaign against armed extremist groups operating in the rugged mountainous terrain of Almiskaad.

Meanwhile, Puntland forces have launched what officials describe as a large-scale military offensive against ISIS positions across several areas of the Almiskaad mountains.

The operations are aimed at clearing militant hideouts and disrupting the group’s activities in the region.

The latest offensive comes as Puntland has intensified its military campaign against ISIS in recent months, particularly in the mountainous areas of Bari, which have long served as a key refuge for the group’s fighters.

Authorities say operations are continuing, with security forces pursuing remaining militants and working to dismantle their networks in the region.

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Somalia is facing one of the most fragile periods in its recent history as deepening political divisions, an escalating insurgency, and uncertainty surrounding international security support converge to threaten the country’s stability.

Recent assessments by European security analysts suggest that Al-Shabaab’s resilience is driven less by its battlefield strength than by Somalia’s inability to maintain a unified political and security strategy across the Federal Government and Federal Member States.

According to recent assessments, the militant group has consistently exploited institutional fragmentation rather than relying solely on military superiority.

As relations between Mogadishu and several regional administrations continue to deteriorate, security coordination has weakened, creating opportunities for Al-Shabaab to expand its influence across central and southern Somalia.

Political Fragmentation Weakens Counterterrorism Operations

Security analysts argue that Al-Shabaab benefits from three interconnected weaknesses within Somalia’s state institutions.

First, political disputes between the Federal Government and Federal Member States—including Puntland and Jubaland—have disrupted intelligence sharing and joint military operations.

The lack of coordination has complicated efforts to launch synchronized offensives and hold liberated areas after military operations conclude.

Second, weak governance has allowed Al-Shabaab to preserve what analysts describe as a sophisticated shadow administration.

Beyond its military activities, the group continues collecting taxes, administering informal courts, extorting businesses, regulating transport routes, and gathering intelligence in areas where government institutions remain absent or ineffective.

Third, Somalia’s international security architecture faces growing financial uncertainty.

The African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), which replaced ATMIS, continues to experience severe funding shortfalls that threaten troop salaries, logistics, medical support, fuel supplies, and operational mobility.

Al-Shabaab Expands Across Strategic Regions

Security reports indicate that Al-Shabaab has strengthened its presence in Hiiraan, Middle Shabelle, Bay, and Bakool—regions considered strategically vital because they connect central and southern Somalia and serve as logistical corridors toward Mogadishu.

Rather than holding territory through prolonged conventional warfare, the group has increasingly relied on a flexible strategy.

It avoids large-scale confrontations when government military pressure intensifies but re-establishes influence once security operations lose momentum or political disputes divert government attention.

This ability to re-enter contested districts has become one of Al-Shabaab’s greatest strategic advantages.

While southern Somalia continues to face mounting insecurity, Puntland has followed a different trajectory.

Puntland’s recent military operations against ISIS in the Bari region have demonstrated that coordinated local command structures, sustained intelligence gathering, and consistent military pressure can significantly weaken extremist networks.

However, analysts note that these gains remain largely regional rather than national.

The contrast illustrates Somalia’s broader structural problem: successful counterterrorism efforts are increasingly localized instead of forming part of a coordinated national security strategy.

While Puntland focuses on degrading ISIS in the northeast, Al-Shabaab continues expanding its influence across central and southern Somalia amid persistent political divisions.

Election Disputes Continue to Fuel Political Crisis

Somalia’s security challenges have been compounded by an increasingly contentious political environment.

Disagreements over constitutional amendments, the country’s electoral model, and the distribution of powers between the Federal Government and Federal Member States have widened political divisions.

Puntland rejected the constitutional amendments adopted in Mogadishu in 2024, arguing that they centralized power without sufficient national consensus. Jubaland has also remained locked in disputes with the Federal Government over elections and political authority.

Tensions between federal forces and Jubaland’s regional security forces around Ras Kamboni have highlighted how political disagreements can directly undermine security cooperation against Al-Shabaab.

Analysts warn that these institutional disputes consume political attention and military resources that would otherwise be directed toward combating extremist groups.

AUSSOM Funding Crisis Raises New Security Concerns

At the same time, uncertainty surrounding AUSSOM’s financing has emerged as one of the most significant threats to Somalia’s security transition.

The mission continues to face major budget shortfalls after international partners struggled to establish a sustainable funding mechanism.

Concerns have also grown following reports that the United States halted support for certain UN-administered logistical arrangements for AUSSOM, reflecting broader concerns among donors over Somalia’s political instability and limited progress in stabilizing areas recovered from Al-Shabaab.

Funding shortages risk affecting essential operational capabilities, including transport, fuel, food supplies, medical evacuation services, communications, and troop sustainment for thousands of African Union personnel deployed across Somalia.

Security experts warn that any reduction in AUSSOM’s operational capacity before Somali security forces are fully prepared could create security vacuums that Al-Shabaab would likely exploit.

Turkey has expanded its military partnership with Somalia through training programs, defense cooperation, and the deployment of advanced military capabilities, strengthening the Somali National Army’s operational capacity.

However, analysts argue that additional military support alone cannot compensate for the country’s political fragmentation. Without effective coordination between the Federal Government and regional administrations, gains achieved through military operations risk being temporary.

Institutional Disputes Remain the Greatest Vulnerability

Analysts increasingly argue that Somalia’s most dangerous conflicts today are institutional rather than ideological.

Disputes over elections, constitutional authority, security command structures, revenue sharing, territorial administration, and post-conflict governance continue to weaken state institutions.

Every political confrontation reduces the government’s ability to present a unified front against extremist organizations.

Meanwhile, multiple international studies have suggested that Al-Shabaab continues to exploit corruption, clan rivalries, economic patronage networks, and weaknesses within government institutions.

Rather than relying solely on ideological supporters, the group often benefits from opportunistic relationships involving individuals who facilitate its financial, logistical, or intelligence activities.

Community elders also remain central actors in many contested areas, frequently mediating local ceasefires, negotiating prisoner exchanges, resolving taxation disputes, and facilitating access between communities and armed actors.

While these local arrangements can reduce immediate violence, analysts note that they also illustrate the limited reach of formal state institutions in many parts of Somalia.

A Conflict Shaped by Politics as Much as Security

Security experts increasingly conclude that Somalia’s greatest challenge is not the absence of international military assistance but the absence of sustained political consensus.

As long as divisions persist between Mogadishu and regional administrations, Al-Shabaab is likely to continue exploiting governance gaps, institutional weaknesses, and fragmented security structures.

While localized successes—such as Puntland’s campaign against ISIS—demonstrate that extremist groups can be weakened through coordinated action, analysts argue that lasting progress against Al-Shabaab will require a comprehensive political settlement alongside military operations.

Without stronger federal-regional cooperation, stable institutions, and sustainable international support for AUSSOM, Somalia risks remaining trapped in a cycle where political instability continues to undermine security gains.

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U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) confirmed to Fox News Digital on Friday that it conducted 10 airstrikes in 2024. By contrast, more than 100 strikes have already been executed in Somalia this year.

In the most recent operation on Tuesday, AFRICOM forces took part in an airstrike and an alleged four-hour gun battle with ISIS-Somalia fighters in Puntland, located in northern Somalia.

According to an AFRICOM press release, the mission was carried out “in coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia.”

Several local sources reported that high-ranking ISIS operatives were targeted. Early accounts suggest that a senior militant leader was either killed or apprehended, and up to 10 fighters were eliminated. No U.S. casualties have been reported.

This latest strike follows a series of U.S. missions targeting extremist factions throughout Somalia, including ISIS, ISIS-Somalia, and the al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Shabab.

An AFRICOM spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Thursday that the U.S. “conducted an airstrike approximately 66 km southeast of Bossaso. To date, we have completed 101 airstrikes in Somalia — 59 of which specifically targeted ISIS-Somalia.

“In collaboration with the Federal Government of Somalia, we continue to take measures to diminish the capacity of ISIS-Somalia and al-Shabab to threaten the U.S. homeland, our forces, and our citizens abroad.”

According to local accounts, U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drones initially launched missiles at militants positioned in and around a large cave. This was reportedly followed by an assault involving 10 helicopters. Multiple sources claimed that U.S. personnel disembarked from the aircraft during the operation.

However, U.S. military officials denied that American troops conducted any on-ground maneuvers, firmly rejecting reports that U.S. forces had set foot on Somali territory. Officials reiterated that no ground operation took place.

In a public statement, AFRICOM emphasized that “specific details about units and assets will not be released” to preserve operational security.

In August, AFRICOM announced multiple airstrikes against ISIS militants. AFRICOM Commander Gen. Dagvin Anderson stated that “these lethal strikes demonstrate our resolve and commitment to keeping Americans and our partners safe from the threat of global terrorism.” He added that the strikes targeted “an organization intending to export its violence to the U.S. and our allies.”

Official military photographs showed U.S. aircraft launching from an aircraft carrier during the operations.

Ahmed Soliman, a senior research fellow in the Africa Programme at Chatham House, told Fox News Digital, “The U.S. focus on [ISIS] in Puntland is partly driven by the goal of preventing another international [ISIS] ‘safe haven’ from emerging, as well as concerns about ISIS-Somalia’s recruitment of foreign fighters.”

He added, “However, this emphasis has raised concerns that the international response may not be keeping pace with al-Shabab’s resurgence in central and southern Somalia. Al-Shabab has taken advantage of the shifting international focus to reestablish its operational areas.

“These gains have occurred amid Somalia’s increasingly fractured domestic political environment. Persistent power struggles between the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) and federal member states such as Puntland and Jubaland have undermined coordination and counterterrorism efforts.”

In May, AFRICOM’s former commander, Gen. Michael E. Langley, speaking about U.S. strikes in Somalia, told Air & Space Forces Magazine that the U.S. “is actively pursuing and eliminating jihadist fighters.”

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Kaab TV has learned that a delegation led by Puntland President Saeed Abdullahi Deni, who recently visited the UAE, held discussions with the UAE Government on ways to provide extensive support to Puntland’s operations against Daesh.

Puntland has emphasized the importance of boosting the morale of its fighting forces and has requested support to compensate the families of soldiers who died in the conflict.

While the exact number of soldiers who have died in Puntland has not been officially announced, estimates suggest the toll is in the hundreds since the launch of the Lightning Operation, which targeted ISIS positions in the region.

Sources close to the Puntland presidency have confirmed that up to $20,000 will be provided to the family of each soldier who died during Operation Hellaac.

This initiative could help Puntland build confidence in its military forces fighting against the terrorist group. The region has recently faced criticism for allegedly failing to provide adequate medical care and support to soldiers injured in the anti-terrorism campaign.

In addition, Puntland hopes the UAE will assist with the salaries of government employees. Currently, the UAE covers the salaries of the Puntland Maritime Police Force (PMPF), which received training from the UAE.

Puntland has faced a financial shortfall due to the suspension of international budget support, which it has not received for more than six years because of conflicts with the Federal Government in Mogadishu.

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The counterterrorism operation, which began in December with backing from U.S. AFRICOM and the UAE through airstrikes, has resulted in the deaths of dozens of militants.

On Monday, Puntland counterterrorism forces took control of Sheebaab town, a significant ISIS stronghold that had served as the group’s headquarters.

The government announced the completion of the second phase of the operation, marking a major victory against the terror group.

However, top ISIS leaders, including Abdiqadir Mumin, remain at large after fleeing their stronghold.

Just a day before the victory in Sheebaab, outgoing British Ambassador Mike Nithavrianakis visited Bosaso, Puntland’s strategic port city and the base of the counterterrorism operation.

“It was very good seeing Puntland President @HESaidADeni in Bosaso today. The UK will be supporting #OpHilac against Daesh with medical supplies, among other things,” Nithavrianakis posted on X.

The ambassador, whose assignment ends in May, reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to standing with Puntland in its fight against terrorism.

The Puntland president’s office confirmed the meeting, attended by government officials, focused on the ongoing counterterrorism operations. The UK praised Puntland’s efforts and also discussed strengthening UK-Puntland cooperation, ongoing development projects, and the broader security situation in Somalia.

During Monday’s operation, Puntland forces uncovered an underground hideout where ISIS leader Abdiqadir Mumin had been residing.

The hideout, hidden beneath a tomato farm to evade airstrikes, contained a tunnel several meters deep, an oxygen tube, and solar-powered lighting. Despite the discovery, Mumin was not captured.

Meanwhile, Puntland’s Police Chief, General Mumin Abdi, has urged civilians to remain vigilant, warning that fleeing ISIS fighters may try to hide among the local population.

“We want all Puntlanders to be vigilant as the ISIS terrorists fleeing from Cal Miskaad are trying to hide within the civilian population and might cause harm,” General Mumin Abdi said.

With ISIS leadership on the run, Puntland security forces continue their pursuit of the remaining militants.

#VIDEO: ISIS-SOMALIA LEADER’S UNDERGROUND HOUSE EXPOSED

Puntland counter-terror forces uncovered an underground house where top ISIS emir Abdiqadir Mumin had been living.

The house had a tomato farm on top as a cover from airstrikes, with a tunnel several meters deep. It was… pic.twitter.com/iREtbtsT6y

— Kaab TV (@KaabTV) February 24, 2025

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The midnight strike targeted the Kunle area of Al-Miskaad.

“The command’s initial assessment is that the strike killed two ISIS terrorists and no civilians were harmed,” AFRICOM stated.

The operation resulted in the deaths of at least two members of the IS-Somalia group.

The airstrike comes as Puntland security forces have been engaged in intense fighting with ISIS-Somalia militants in the mountainous region since December.

Puntland forces have reportedly driven the militants out of 70% of the area.

The United Arab Emirates has also been providing support to Puntland’s regional forces, including airstrikes and logistical assistance.

AFRICOM emphasized its commitment to ongoing operations against the group.

“Degrading ISIS and other terrorist organizations’ ability to plot and conduct attacks that threaten the U.S. homeland, our partners, and civilians” remains a key objective, the command said.

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“This morning, I ordered precision military airstrikes on the senior ISIS attack planner and other terrorists he recruited and led in Somalia. These killers, who we found hiding in caves, threatened the United States and our allies. The strikes destroyed the caves they lived in and killed many terrorists without, in any way, harming civilians. Our military has targeted this ISIS attack planner for years, but Biden and his cronies couldn’t act quickly enough to get the job done. I did!” Trump posted on X.

He also sent a clear warning to ISIS.

Trump wrote: “The message to ISIS and all others who would attack Americans is that ‘WE WILL FIND YOU, AND WE WILL KILL YOU!'”

This morning I ordered precision Military air strikes on the Senior ISIS Attack Planner and other terrorists he recruited and led in Somalia. These killers, who we found hiding in caves, threatened the United States and our Allies. The strikes destroyed the caves they live in,…

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 1, 2025

The airstrikes were confirmed by U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), which announced that “multiple ISIS-Somalia militants” were killed in the operation on Saturday.

The strikes targeted the remote mountains of the Bari region, where Puntland state security forces have been engaged in ongoing clashes with ISIS militants since December.

The conflict began after Puntland launched an all-out offensive against the group, which had been establishing bases in the region’s mountainous terrain.

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“The command’s initial assessment is that multiple ISIS-Somalia operatives were killed in the airstrikes and no civilians were harmed,” AFRICOM stated in a press release.

The airstrikes targeted the remote mountains of the Bari region, where Puntland state security forces have been clashing with ISIS militants since December.

The conflict began after the regional government launched an all-out offensive against the group, which had been establishing bases in the mountainous areas.

AFRICOM indicated it would continue to evaluate the results of the operation and provide further details as necessary.

“Specific details about the operation will not be released in order to ensure continued operational security,” the statement added.

In a related development, U.S. President Donald Trump, while at his Mar-a-Lago resort, confirmed the order for precision military airstrikes against the senior ISIS attack planner and other terrorists he had recruited and led in Somalia.

“These killers, who we found hiding in caves, threatened the United States and our allies. The strikes destroyed the caves they live in, and killed many terrorists without, in any way, harming civilians,” Trump posted on X.

Trump also sent a strong message to ISIS: “The message to ISIS and all others who would attack Americans is that ‘WE WILL FIND YOU, AND WE WILL KILL YOU!’”

Meanwhile, regional authorities in Puntland expressed their appreciation for the involvement of the U.S. and UAE in the airstrikes targeting the militants.

While Puntland refrains from aligning with the Mogadishu government, they thanked Kenya and Ethiopia for their “invaluable support” in the fight against ISIS, while also praising their collaboration with the U.S. and UAE.

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This comes after the arrest of hundreds of foreigners in various towns, including Bosaso, Garowe, and Dhahar.

Authorities say the operation aims to verify that the foreigners do not pose any security threat.

Tight security is being enforced at Puntland’s borders as the statewide anti-terror operation continues.

This is #Garowe’s southern checkpoint, where Kaab TV visited as security forces carried out search and arrest operations targeting travelers on the roads.

The Criminal Investigations Police have also joined the operation to verify the identities of those suspected.

Police officials report that hundreds of people have been arrested, while some were released after their identities were verified.

Thr Islamic State (ISIS) militants are reportedly fleeing as Puntland forces advance towards the mountains in Bari, dismantling their hideouts.

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