GAROWE, Somalia — United States warplanes have carried out heavy airstrikes on the Al-Miskaad Mountains in Somalia’s northeastern Bari region, targeting suspected hideouts of the Islamic State (ISIS) group, local sources said on Monday.
Residents in nearby villages told Radio Shabelle that multiple strikes hit areas believed to be used by the militants as command posts and training sites. The operation reportedly took place late Sunday night, though details remain scarce.
“There were several powerful explosions coming from the mountains. We could see flashes in the sky,” said one resident reached by phone from Garowe.
The number of casualties has not been independently verified, and U.S. military officials have yet to comment on the operation. Puntland authorities, who have been battling ISIS-affiliated fighters in the region for months, also declined immediate comment.
The United States has provided air and intelligence support to Puntland forces in a campaign lasting more than ten months against the group, which has entrenched itself in the rugged Al-Miskaad range — a remote area stretching along Somalia’s northern coastline.
ISIS militants in Somalia are relatively few in number compared to the Al-Shabaab group but have maintained a foothold in the mountainous areas of Bari, occasionally carrying out attacks in coastal towns.
