Puntland authorities have said that an airstrike in the Balade Valley in the Cal Miskaad mountains targeted senior ISIS members, and confirmed that the main target was killed.
Reliable reports from various sources confirm that the attack specifically targeted senior officials, including the deputy emir of ISIS, Abdirahman Fahiye Isse Mohamud, who was hiding in the Cal Miskaad mountains.
A Puntland official, Ahmed Abdullahi Sheikh, one of the airstrike advisors, said that the airstrike was carried out by US forces. He noted that the US is constantly supporting Puntland’s efforts to combat terrorism.
The airstrike is part of the final phase of Operation Lightning, with Puntland saying that its cooperation with US forces has clearly borne fruit.
According to Puntland officials, up to 85% of the senior ISIS leadership in Puntland has been destroyed since the operation began.
The senior officials killed were described as having played a key role in the ISIS group’s governance and operations. They were confirmed to include:
Abdihakim Badin Mawaledd (Yemeni): Head of the internal police (Hizba), who spoke Somali.
Marwaan Abdirizaaq (Tunisian): Head of foreign fighters.
Barow Abdi Ma’alin (Somali – Gedo): Head of the administration of Al-Shabaab-Dhaasaan.
Ahmed Salah Sudani (Sudanese): Head of religious awareness (Da’wah).
Ibrahim Hayyaan (Moroccan): Head of explosives.
Dr. Hakiim Ubayda (Malaysian): Head of health.
Ahmed Muse Said (Somali – Bari): Head of foreign relations, who spoke Arabic and English.
The Puntland administration has said that these operations will continue until the ISIS group is completely eliminated from the areas where they are present in Puntland.
