Puntland Arrests Dozens of Foreign Islamic State Fighters in Major Counterterrorism Offensive.
Puntland’s latest counterterrorism operation has delivered one of the clearest intelligence victories against Islamic State in Somalia in years — and it exposes the group’s deeply international character.
Security forces in the autonomous federal state announced the capture of between 30 and 50 foreign ISIS fighters during Operation Hilaac in the Al-Miskaad mountains, a long-standing militant sanctuary in the Bari region. The detainees include nationals from Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Ethiopia, Yemen and Tanzania — a striking reminder that ISIS in Somalia is not a local insurgency, but a transnational project embedded in global extremist networks.
According to Puntland Counter-Terrorism Operations officials, the arrests were carried out with aerial and technical support from the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) and the United Arab Emirates, underscoring the growing role of international partners in Horn of Africa security operations. Puntland authorities say their forces have now cleared roughly 98 percent of the Al-Miskaad range, pushing ISIS remnants toward the Golis mountains.
The symbolism matters. For years, Al-Miskaad’s caves and rugged terrain allowed ISIS-Somalia to operate as a logistics hub, recruitment center, and training ground — particularly for foreign fighters seeking a foothold in East Africa after pressure mounted in the Middle East. This operation disrupts that pipeline.
The public release of names and nationalities is also a political signal. Puntland is framing the fight not just as a Somali security issue, but as part of a wider international counterterrorism effort — placing pressure on regional and foreign governments to confront how their citizens end up fueling extremist violence abroad.
Strategically, the offensive strengthens Puntland’s standing as a capable security actor at a time when Somalia’s federal system remains fragmented and external threats persist. It also complicates ISIS’s narrative: the image of a “local jihad” collapses when dozens of foreign fighters are paraded before cameras.
Operation Hilaac is not the end of ISIS in Somalia — but it marks a decisive blow to its foreign backbone.
