The semi-autonomous Puntland region in Somalia is gearing up for a significant military campaign aimed at eradicating the Islamic State’s growing insurgency in the mountainous northern territory.
This extremist faction, designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, has seen its numbers swell to an estimated 1,200 fighters this year. These combatants are entrenched in the Bari mountains, situated east of Bosaso, Puntland’s bustling port city, according to regional security officials. The U.S. military has voiced increasing alarm over the group’s expanding foothold in the region.
“It represents a critical threat, and Puntland is determined to permanently eliminate it from its strongholds,” said Mohamed Mubarak, head of the Puntland Security Coordination Office, in a statement provided on Wednesday.
The Islamic State’s Somali branch is under the leadership of Abdulkadir Mumin, who founded the group after splitting from the al-Qaeda-aligned al-Shabaab nine years ago. Mumin, described by the International Crisis Group (ICG) as potentially one of the global leaders of the Islamic State, narrowly escaped a U.S. airstrike in May.
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The group’s influence has grown substantially, partly due to its ability to funnel financial resources across the African continent. This capability has elevated the Somalia faction’s prominence within the broader Islamic State network, according to an ICG report published in September. In Puntland, the group raises funds by extorting local businesses, exporting small amounts of gold from Bari, and managing financial transactions for other Islamic State cells outside Somalia.
“The Islamic State’s presence in Puntland is a cornerstone of its global financial and operational network. The repercussions of our offensive will resonate far beyond Somalia,” Mubarak added.
Puntland, one of Somalia’s six federal states, declared autonomy in 1998. However, unlike neighboring Somaliland, it has not pursued international recognition as an independent nation. The region is thought to hold vast untapped oil reserves, estimated at over a billion barrels.
This planned offensive underscores Puntland’s commitment to eradicating militant threats and ensuring stability in a region critical to Somalia’s broader security and economic future.
