Saturday September 20, 2025
Garowe (HOL) – U.S. Ambassador to Somalia Richard H. Riley
and Major General Claude Tudor, Commander of U.S. Special Operations Command
Africa, met with Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni in Bosaso on Saturday
to commend Puntland’s efforts in combating ISIS and ensuring maritime security.
Talks focused on strengthening counter-terrorism
cooperation, with U.S. officials praising Puntland forces for their ongoing
Operation in the Calmiskaad mountains of Bari region.
“While the United States provides unique capabilities in
support, local forces are the tip of the spear, taking the fight to the enemy
who threatens not only Somalia, but the region, and our homeland. This is the
kind of coordinated approach that helps protect American interests at home and
abroad,” the U.S. Embassy in Mogadishu posted on X (formerly Twitter).
The Puntland Presidency confirmed that U.S. Africa Command
(AFRICOM) held a briefing with Operation Lightning officers, reaffirming
American support for local forces on the frontline against terrorism.
The meeting follows a U.S. airstrike in Somalia’s northern
Sanaag region on September 13, which AFRICOM said targeted an Al-Shabaab member
responsible for weapons trafficking. While the Pentagon did not name the
individual, local officials and relatives reported that prominent clan elder
Abdullahi Omar Abdi was killed in the strike, sparking controversy.
U.S. officials reiterated that the fight against ISIS and
Al-Shabaab in Somalia remains a shared priority, warning that terrorist threats
extend beyond Somalia to the wider Horn of Africa and the United States.