BOSAOS (SMN) – ISIS fighters have reportedly attacked a Puntland military base, signaling a shift in guerrilla tactics after losing direct battles.
The militants raided the military base in the Xabley Mountains, Dhaban Xoogle, Bari region, sparking an exchange of gunfire followed by mortar shelling.
Puntland officials confirmed their forces repelled the attack, killing several militants.
Reports suggest both sides suffered casualties, with the fighting lasting for hours.
The situation is stable, with Puntland forces in control of the battlegrounds. They have pushed ISIS out of several areas, including Cali Miskaad.
Puntland forces took key positions, including caves used by ISIS fighters as hideouts. Officials vow to remove ISIS from the region, including Cali Miskaad.
Since December, Puntland has been fighting militants in the rugged highlands, where they had major bases and caves to hide.
ISIL remains much smaller in number compared to the al-Qaeda-linked group, Al-Shabaab, which controls large parts of Somalia.
The group’s fighters are estimated to be 1,500, mostly scattered in the Al-Maskad region, according to security experts
