Tuesday May 28, 2024
Nairobi (HOL) - The Islamic State (IS) offshoot in Somalia
has extended its presence in Puntland state in northeastern Somalia following
several clashes with its primary rival, al-Shabab, according to a new report.
The Emirates Policy Center report stated that since early
2023, the two sides have engaged in numerous clashes, with the fiercest
occurred in March 2023, leaving 46 dead, including leaders from both sides.
The IS group announced that it had expanded its presence in the
Bari region after taking control of the Al-Miskaad mountains from al-Shabab, leading
to the deaths of 50 fighters, including key commanders in April 2024. Over the
last eight years, al-Shabab has struggled with IS for control over this
strategic region, intensifying efforts to expel the group.
According to the Emirates Policy Center report, local
sources in Puntland confirm that IS has regained the upper hand in the
Al-Miskaad mountains and the broader Bari region, underscoring the evolving
dynamics in a state that has enjoyed relative stability compared to the middle
and south of the country.
Puntland holds increasing strategic and military importance,
especially in the mountainous regions of Bari, notably Al-Miskaad, Galgala and
the Golis mountains in the disputed Sanaag region with Somaliland. The
emergence of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in late 2014 had
profound effects on the internal structural and ideological coherence of the
Somali Al-Shabab Movement.
The report added that the expansion of IS in Puntland
provides the group with logistical advantages, including access to the sea,
opportunities to impose taxes and conduct financial operations, and contact
with the IS offshoot in Yemen.
The report highlighted that IS benefits from the growing
activities of Somali pirates, which bolster its propaganda efforts, attract
foreign fighters, and enhance its standing within the global organization and
its relationship with the leadership of the Islamic State-Khorasan Province in
Afghanistan.
On October 26, 2016, Somali IS briefly captured the coastal
town of Qandala, 75 kilometers east of Bosaso city, the major port and
commercial capital of Puntland state before being expelled by the state’s territorial forces
in December 2016. Despite this setback, IS has maintained a permanent presence
in semi-remote areas of the state, especially around urban centers in the Bari
region such as Balli Dhiddin, Turmasaale, and Iskushuban in the Galgala and
Al-Miskaad mountains.
However, a day ago, Somalia's Deputy Minister of
Information, Abdirahman Yusuf Al-Addaala, announced the defeat of Al-Shabab in
Galmudug and Hirshabelle, forcing the militants to regroup in the Puntland
region. He told VOA Somali radio that the federal government launched an attack
against Al-Shabab, which was planning attacks on the people of Puntland,
killing 20 militants, including top leaders.