Garowe, Somalia – In an effort to secure its military operations against Islamic State (ISIS) strongholds in the Al-Miskat mountains, Puntland has prohibited media outlets from communicating with the group, the region’s Information Minister Mahmoud Aydiid Dirir announced on Saturday.
The decision aims to safeguard operational secrecy and ensure that journalists adhere to official guidelines during this critical phase of the campaign, according to a statement.
Key points of the media restrictions include:
No access to conflict zones without explicit permission.
Information on military activities must be sourced exclusively from government channels.
Travel to battlefronts is off-limits without clearance from the Information Ministry.
Dirir underscored the importance of these measures in protecting the lives of reporters and maintaining the confidentiality of military strategies as Puntland’s forces strive to dismantle ISIS enclaves.
Since its inception in 2015, led by ex-al-Shabaab commander Sheikh Abdulkadir Mumin, the local ISIS faction has been under relentless pressure from US-led airstrikes, the latest of which occurred on May 31, 2024.
