Sunday August 10, 2025
Garowe (HOL) – The Puntland administration has deployed
fresh troops to the Calmiskaad Mountains to launch what officials describe as
the final phase of an operation against the Islamic State group.
The offensive had slowed in recent weeks after government
forces withdrew from the Miraale Valley, allowing ISIS militants to plant mines
that have disrupted supply routes.
On Saturday, new battalions arrived in the Habley area and
began moving toward suspected militant hideouts. Puntland forces have also
targeted ISIS positions in the mountains with sustained artillery fire.
According to security sources, the group is now concentrated
in two remote, hard-to-access areas: the Habley Mountains and the Baallade
Valley. Both locations lack roads for combat vehicles, forcing troops to rely
on camels or aircraft for food and water supplies.
Analysts estimate more than 100 fighters, including senior
leaders, remain entrenched in the mountains. Security officials say the
operation to eliminate ISIS could continue until September.