Mogadishu (KAAB TV) – AFRICOM confirmed that U.S. forces recently carried out two airstrikes targeting ISIS-Somalia militants in the Al Miskaad Mountains of Puntland’s Bari Region.
The Al Miskaad range forms part of the larger Golis Mountains, which stretch across Puntland’s remote interior and have long served as a hideout and operational base for jihadist fighters.
According to AFRICOM, the strikes took place on October 24 and October 26, 2025, in the Al Miskaad area approximately 85 km southeast of the strategic port city of Bosaso along the Gulf of Aden. In a public statement, the command said:
“AFRICOM, alongside the Federal Government of Somalia and Somali Armed Forces, continues to take action to degrade ISIS-Somalia’s ability to threaten the U.S. homeland, our forces, and our citizens abroad.”
The statement did not provide casualty figures or additional operational details, citing operational security concerns.
Local authorities in Puntland have confirmed that regional security forces—working in cooperation with AFRICOM—have stepped up operations against ISIS cells in the Al Miskaad region, sharing intelligence and providing logistical support.
Persistent reports indicate that ISIS-Somalia has remained active in this part of northeastern Somalia since its split from Al Shabaab nearly a decade ago, exploiting the caves, ravines and isolated valleys of the Golis mountains to train, regroup and launch guerrilla-style operations.
Puntland officials have claimed that ISIS-Somalia’s capabilities in the region have been significantly degraded, describing the militants as “largely defeated” in certain zones.
Independent local reporting suggests the group continues to mount a resilient insurgency and retains small but persistent pockets of presence.
ISIS-Somalia first emerged in 2015 as a breakaway faction of Al Shabaab following internal disputes within the larger militant organisation.
The group quickly established a base in Puntland’s remote mountains and has maintained smaller cells across northern Somalia.
The recent airstrikes underscore Washington’s renewed focus in Puntland, where U.S. and Somali forces have increased joint operations in 2025.
These actions form part of a broader U.S. military campaign in Somalia. AFRICOM has also conducted air operations in central and southern Somalia in support of the Mogadishu-based federal government’s war against Al Shabaab.
According to data compiled by independent monitoring organisation New America Foundation, U.S. airstrikes in Somalia in 2025 are already running ahead of previous annual totals, with up to 34 strikes documented by early June.