Saturday July 27, 2024
Bosaso (HOL) — The Puntland Security Forces (PSF) have captured a foreign officer from the Islamic State (Daesh) group in the Almis Mountains of Somalia's Bari Region.
The officer, identified as Imraan Mohamed Alawi from Zanzibar, was apprehended on May 31, 2024, during operations against Daesh militants in the Qanda area.
Alawi was presented in a video report published on the PSF's official Facebook page. In the video, Alawi admitted to being a member of Daesh and participating in battles against various groups. He disclosed that many of the ISIS fighters in the region are foreigners, including individuals from Ethiopia, Malawi, Yemen, and other countries.
This region, particularly the Cal-Miskaat mountains, has been a stronghold for the Islamic State, which established a base there after defecting from the al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Shabab group in 2015.
In a related development earlier this year, a Somali military court sentenced six Moroccan members of IS to death for terrorism-related crimes. This marked the first time Puntland authorities have charged foreigners for joining IS.
The Somali branch of ISIS is notorious for extorting locals and conducting small-scale, sporadic attacks. The group has been a significant regional security concern, prompting local and international counter-terrorism efforts.
United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) conducted an airstrike targeting ISIS leader Abdiqadir Mu'min in the Al-Bari mountains on May 31. While the outcome of the airstrike remains unclear, preliminary reports indicated that three Daesh members were killed without civilian casualties. This airstrike highlights the ongoing international efforts to combat extremist groups in Somalia.