On December 31, 2024, Puntland’s Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Mohamed Shire Baari, narrowly survived an attack by Islamic State (ISIS) militants in Dharjale town, located in the Bari region of northeastern Somalia.
The assault involved suicide car bombs and infantry forces targeting troops under Baari’s command, who are stationed in Dharjale to spearhead an anticipated offensive against ISIS hideouts near the strategic coastal town of Bosaso.
While Deputy Speaker Baari emerged unscathed, several casualties were reported among his troops.
Regional authorities confirmed that the attack was repelled, resulting in the deaths of up to eight assailants, including individuals from various Arab and African nations.
Graphic footage released by authorities purportedly shows the lifeless bodies of several militants involved.
This attack is perceived as an effort to disrupt the forthcoming military operation, which Puntland President Saeed Abdullahi Deni recently vowed to launch in a decisive campaign to eradicate ISIS from the northern semi-autonomous region of Somalia.
The group has been steadily expanding its foothold in the region, intensifying efforts to impose taxes in towns outside its direct control, including Bosaso.
The Islamic State in Somalia, primarily operating in the mountainous areas of Puntland, has been involved in several terrorist activities in the region. Formed by defectors from Al-Shabaab in 2015, the group aims to extend ISIS’s self-proclaimed caliphate in Africa.
Their attacks have included close-quarter assassinations and improvised explosive device (IED) operations.
The precise number of casualties resulting from the attack remains uncertain, and authorities have yet to provide a full and detailed account of the incident.