BOSASO, Somalia – Puntland has started deploying additional troops to sections of the Al-Miskaad mountain range in Bari region, where a continuing security operation is pursuing retreating fighters from an Islamic State–affiliated group, regional authorities reported Monday.
Hundreds of newly assigned soldiers have been dispatched to the Baallade valley and adjacent areas to relieve units that have been participating in a year-long campaign. Additional forces trained in the town of Badhan are scheduled to reinforce the operation in the upcoming days, officials stated.
The “Hillaac” operation, initiated in December 2024 to dismantle the IS-linked network in the difficult mountain terrain, was originally set for completion by December 2025. Authorities indicate the mission has now reached its concluding stage, concentrating on tracking the remaining militants, who no longer occupy fixed locations or maintain operational bases.
Senior Puntland defense officials informed HM that the offensive “will not cease” until the final Islamic State combatant in the area is eliminated or apprehended, highlighting the administration’s commitment to eradicate the group’s influence in the northeast.
