Tuesday October 14, 2025
Garowe (HOL) — Puntland Dervish forces on Monday captured a
Turkish national identified as Feyzul Hashim Suleyman, a member of ISIS, during
an operation in the Togga Balade area of the Bari region.
The arrest occurred during the fourth phase of Operation
Hilac, a military campaign targeting ISIS militants hiding in the rugged
Cal-Miskaad mountains.
According to security officials, Feyzul Suleyman is the
second Turkish national captured by Puntland forces in two months. In June,
security forces detained Hassan Ataar, another Turkish citizen linked to ISIS
activities in the same region.
Authorities revealed that two other Turkish nationals — Emre
Kemal Yilmaz and Aylin Derya Kaya — remain at large, believed to be hiding in
the Cal-Miskaad area.
Gen. Ahmed Abdilaahi Sheikh, a senior Puntland military
officer, said the captured militants were Turkish fugitives who had fled their
country after the failed 2016 coup attempt, some of whom were former members of
the Turkish military.
“Intelligence reports indicate that these individuals first
joined ISIS in Syria before being transferred to the Cal-Miskaad region of
Puntland,” Gen. Ahmed said.
He added that investigations are ongoing to determine their
links to international smuggling and terrorist networks, including the PKK.
Security experts warn that the presence of foreign fighters
in Somalia underscores the growing threat of transnational terrorism, calling
for stronger information sharing and international cooperation to combat
extremist networks.
Puntland forces also captured a Somali fighter during
clashes with ISIS militants in Togga Balade on Monday.