Puntland’s Darawish Forces Eliminate ISIS’s Last Stronghold in Somalia – Details

22nd April 2025

2 minutes read

Puntland’s Darawish Forces Eliminate ISIS’s Last Stronghold in Somalia – Details

In a decisive victory, the Darawish forces of Somalia’s Puntland State have defeated the terrorist organization ISIS, seizing control of its last major stronghold in the country’s northeast.

The Daraweesh forces fully captured ISIS’s final major base in the Al-Miskad mountains of Bari region following a large-scale military operation supported by intelligence and ground coordination. The operation resulted in the killing of 40 ISIS militants.

For years, ISIS maintained a limited presence in Puntland’s mountains, resisting dual pressure from local forces and its rival, Al-Shabaab.

With intensified security campaigns at the beginning of 2025, the war on ISIS entered a decisive phase, culminating in the announcement by Darawish forces of the recapture of the group’s last mountainous base — a development that raises the question: is this the end of ISIS in Somalia, or merely a strategic repositioning?

ISIS in Somalia is a local offshoot of the global organization, formed in 2015 by a faction that broke away from the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Al-Shabaab movement. The split was fueled by ideological disputes and tribal divisions, as ISIS was then establishing its so-called caliphate in Syria and Iraq.

Although smaller in numbers and equipment compared to Al-Shabaab, ISIS-Somalia managed to maintain a foothold in parts of the northeast, especially in the Golis and Al-Miskad mountain ranges, using the rugged terrain to launch surprise attacks against local security forces.

Despite the strategic significance of recapturing the Al-Miskad mountains, talk of ISIS’s “end” remains cautious, mainly due to the ongoing threat posed by sleeper cells. Several fighters have fled to remote regions and may resort to guerrilla tactics and suicide bombings.

These sources also noted the group’s adaptability — ISIS has shown resilience in various battlefields, including Iraq, Syria, and the Sahel, often shifting to small, covert cells awaiting opportunities to reemerge.

Observers say that Puntland’s Darawish forces have proven that counterterrorism doesn’t require massive armies but small, well-trained, agile units with deep local roots. While global attention focuses on Mogadishu and Al-Shabaab, it was the silent battle in the northeast — led by this elite unit — that achieved one of the most successful campaigns against one of ISIS’s most dangerous branches in the Horn of Africa.

Puntland’s Darawish forces are among the state’s most prominent security and military units. They were established as a special force trained specifically to combat terrorist groups, particularly in mountainous and desert environments. They excel in intelligence-driven operations and guerrilla-style tactics, and their deep experience in navigating rugged terrain makes them the leading anti-terrorism force in Puntland — both against ISIS and the remnants of Al-Shabaab.