Bosaso, Somalia – Nearly 20 Puntland soldiers were killed and more than 30 others wounded during fierce clashes with ISIS militants in the Baallade valley area of northeastern Somalia, regional security officials said on Saturday.
The battle erupted in Ceelka Maraagade, a key ISIS stronghold nestled within the rugged Cal Miskaad mountains of the Bari region, and lasted for several hours. Officials described it as the deadliest confrontation in the area in recent months.
The casualties occurred during a major assault launched by Puntland forces on what is believed to be one of the group’s main logistical and weapons hubs in the region.
“The fighting has subsided by sunset,” one security source said, adding that government forces had managed to surround the area. Women and children — reportedly family members of ISIS fighters — remain trapped in the crossfire.
Puntland military officials said the operation targeted some of the last remaining ISIS hideouts in the region, expressing hope that the group could be decisively dismantled in a final push expected to conclude by Sunday.
ISIS has maintained a foothold in the Cal Miskaad mountain range for several years, using the difficult terrain as cover for insurgent activity and smuggling operations.
