Puntland deploys fresh troops to Al-Miskaad mountains as anti-ISIS offensive enters final phase

BOSASO, Somalia, Dec 8, 2025 – Puntland has begun deploying fresh troops to parts of the Al-Miskaad mountain range in the Bari region, where an ongoing security operation is targeting fleeing fighters from the Islamic State–linked group, regional officials said Monday.

Hundreds of newly assigned soldiers have been sent to the Baallade valley and surrounding areas to replace units that have been engaged in a year-long offensive. Additional contingents trained in the town of Badhan are expected to join the operation in the coming days, officials added.

The “Hillaac” operation, launched in December 2024 to dismantle the IS-affiliated network in the rugged mountain terrain, was initially planned for completion in December 2025. Authorities say the campaign has now entered its final phase, focused on chasing down the remaining militants, who no longer hold fixed positions or maintain operational strongholds.

Senior Puntland defence officers told HM that the offensive “will not stop” until the last Islamic State fighter in the region is killed or captured, underscoring the administration’s determination to eliminate the group’s presence in the northeast.

GAROWE ONLINE