Exclusive: Puntland acquires four attack helicopters to boost war against ISIS

Puntland forces boost war with ISIS with four new attack helicopters to boost the war against the Islamic State (ISIS), which has killed more than 1,500 militants, a spokesperson exclusively told The Eastleigh Voice.

General Mahamud Ahmed Fadhiigo, spokesperson for the Puntland Counter-Terrorism Operation, told The Eastleigh Voice on Sunday that their forces have surrounded ISIS militants in their last hideout. He confirmed some militants, mostly of African descent, have surrendered, but said hardcore foreign fighters are determined to die.

“We have brought four new fighter helicopters to add to what we had to boost the ongoing operations against ISIS. These helicopters will play a pivotal role in the operations as they can drop guided bombs, fire live rounds at targets and carry forces, including medical evacuation, in and out of the combat zone. This is a game changer for us, and we hope to soon wrap up this operation.” Gen Mahamud said,

He said the area where the fighting is currently ongoing in the Buqa-Celeed area is a rough, hilly terrain where the ISIS fighters have dug trenches and hide deep inside bunkers, slowing the forces’ advancement.

“ISIS is currently holed up in its last hideout deep in the Almiskaad mountains. We have surrounded them, and there is no escape. We have so far killed around 1,500 militants, and many others have also been neutralised by the bombs. Many African militants are also surrendering, but it looks like the hardcore foreign fighters simply want to die because they are the ones still fighting and hiding in this last base surrounded by Puntland forces,” he added.

Gen Mahamud said Almiskaad's mountains have been the ISIS global headquarters and that the militants were well-equipped and prepared for a long war. He confirmed that forces have intercepted weapons destined for ISIS and said Puntland had sealed off logistics suppliers from Yemen.

“We have sealed off their sea access and have surrounded them on land. Our forces intercepted boats carrying illegal arms for ISIS and some smuggling out militants. But our forces have now sealed off all those logistical lines. ISIS has a lot of support from outside, looking at the sophisticated weapons and training they have, so we suspect they might have links with Houthis and other foreign entities,” the spokesperson said.

Puntland declared war on ISIS militants in November 2024 through an operation code-named Lightning or “hilaac” in Somali.

This marked the first time for Puntland forces to launch a major military offensive on a large scale since the Qandala operations in 2016. Qandala was a stronghold for ISIS. The conflict has displaced thousands and killed hundreds of civilians, including an unknown number of Puntland forces. The Spokesperson did state how many soldiers they have lost in the operation.

“Looking at how prepared ISIS was and how determined they are, we believe if we had not dismantled their operation, they were preparing to export their terror into the rest of Somalia and the region because they recruited heavily from Ethiopia and several other African countries. Now we have cornered them, and it’s just a matter of time before we clear them from Puntland,” Gen Mahamud told The Eastleigh Voice.

ISIS is led by Abdulqadir Mumin, a native of Puntland. He started the ISIS insurgency in Puntland in October 2015 after breaking off from Al-Shabaab and Al-Qaeda to declare allegiance to slain ISIS leader Abubakar Al-Baghdadi and the Islamic State. The group is active mostly in Puntland but has also conducted terror attacks in the rest of Somalia.

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