US drone strikes target daesh fighters in Puntland, 6fficials say
United States drone strikes have hit suspected Daesh positions in the rugged Cal Miskaad mountains of Puntland’s Bari region, local authorities confirmed on Saturday.
According to Puntland officials, the airstrikes targeted senior members of the extremist group, following what they described as “precise intelligence coordination” between Puntland’s security agencies and international partners.
Security sources said several foreign fighters were among those killed in the strikes, which took place in a remote mountainous area known to serve as a stronghold for Daesh militants operating in northeastern Somalia.
“This operation was based on verified intelligence and conducted to eliminate key figures responsible for terror activities in the region,” a Puntland security official told local media on condition of anonymity.
The United States has not yet released a statement regarding the operation, and AFRICOM, the US Africa Command, which oversees American military activities on the continent, has not confirmed its involvement.
The latest attack marks the second US airstrike in Puntland within a week, highlighting growing efforts to counter extremist groups entrenched in the region’s remote terrain.
Daesh militants have maintained a presence in parts of Puntland since 2015, though their influence remains limited compared to the al-Shabaab group active in southern Somalia.
