Puntland accuses Somali government of sabotaging anti-ISIS operation
In a strongly worded statement on Thursday, Ilyas accused Somalia of deliberately undermining Puntland's efforts to combat the terrorist group.
Puntland Vice President Ilyas Osman Lugatoor has hit out at Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's government, saying that it is obstructing the evacuation of the wounded in the war against ISIS, instead of providing support to Puntland.
In a strongly worded statement on Thursday, Ilyas accused Somalia of deliberately undermining Puntland's efforts to combat the terrorist group.
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"We do not ask the federal government for support, and it has failed to assist Puntland in its fight against ISIS. The last injury that should have been evacuated was prevented because of its lack of consent," he lamented, alleging that the federal government had actively obstructed critical humanitarian operations.
He further said Puntland has not received any of the international counterterrorism assistance that Somalia has received.
Despite its limited resources, Ilyas also said that Puntland's security forces had made significant strides in regaining control from ISIS insurgents.
"Over 65 per cent of the territory previously held by the group has been reclaimed. As such, Puntland does not and will not need any troops from outside of Puntland, whether from the federal government or elsewhere," he said.
Intense fighting
The accusations come against the backdrop of intense fighting between Puntland's forces and ISIS militants that left at least 20 people dead in the mountainous Cal Miskat region in Bari on Tuesday.
While speaking to VOA, Brigadier General Mohamud Mohamed Ahmed, a spokesperson for Puntland security operations, confirmed that the clashes occurred near Ufeyn, where ISIS fighters had fortified their hideouts with improvised explosive devices.
"One of the devices exploded while soldiers were clearing landmines, killing six and wounding three," Ahmed said.
On Monday, the operation extended into the Laba-Afle area, where Puntland soldiers killed seven militants and lost one soldier, with four others injured.
Mohamud stated that the operation was part of Puntland's intensified military efforts, launched last month, to dislodge ISIS from its strongholds in the mountainous terrain.
The Puntland government has been urging the public to support the campaign, which President Said Abdullahi Deni described as crucial for regional stability.
"This operation is not just about reclaiming territory but also about safeguarding the security of Puntland's citizens," the president said earlier this month.
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