Puntland forces conducted a large-scale operation in the Miraale Valley yesterday, killing ISIS fighters who had been hiding there for a long time.
A brief statement from the Puntland administration said that the forces had completely cleared the caves where ISIS members were hiding, as the operation is now entering its third phase of fighting the group.
During the operation, Puntland forces encountered strong resistance from the other side, resulting in the loss of several soldiers’ lives in the operation.
This is the first time that Puntland and ISIS have come face to face in a direct battle that lasted for nearly 12 hours, since February this year.
Reports say that ISIS has strongly defended the mountains where they were hiding, installing heavy weapons and machine guns on the tops of the mountains.
The official casualties suffered by the parties in the operation have not yet been confirmed, however, the Puntland administration has said that it will release official details about the results of the operation in the coming days.
