U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) said it has conducted a “precision” airstrike targeting ISIS-Somali militants in the remote Cal Miskaad mountain range in the Bari region.
The strike occurred in the vicinity of the Baallade valley, approximately 70 kilometers southeast of the coastal city of Bosaso, AFRICOM said in a brief statement seen by APA on Wednesday.
AFRICOM described the operation as a collective effort coordinated with the federal government of Somalia and the Somali National Army.
The operation aims to degrade the operational capacity of ISIS- Somalia, a faction that remains a key target for US counterterrorism in the horn of Africa
“AFRICOM and its partners remain committed to disrupting the activities of ISIS-Somalia to prevent the group from threatening the United States, its forces, and its citizens abroad,” the command said in a statement
The U.S. intervention comes at a critical time for security in the Puntland state. Local authorities have recently scaled back ground operations against the extremist group, withdrawing some units from the Cal Miskaad area.
Puntland security officials maintain that the remaining ISIS elements in the mountains are largely isolated.
Regional intelligence suggests that while remnants of the group persist in the rugged terrain, their logistics and supply chains-previously managed by clandestine networks providing food and livestock-have been significantly disrupted.
MG/as/APA