U.S. Special Forces, Puntland Troops Launch Major Assault on ISIS-Somalia Strongholds in Baalade Valley
U.S. Special Forces, Puntland Troops Launch Major Assault on ISIS-Somalia Strongholds in Baalade Valley
U.S. Special Forces, Puntland Troops Launch Major Assault on ISIS-Somalia Strongholds in Baalade Valley
U.S. special operations forces, working alongside Puntland Counter-Terrorism Forces (PCTF), carried out a major pre-dawn assault on ISIS-Somalia hideouts in the Baalade Valley, IgbereTV has learned.
According to security sources, more than 100 American operators inserted into the remote Cal Miskaad mountain range aboard MH-60 helicopters, supported by MQ-9 Reaper drones, targeting fortified cave positions in the Bakuuje and Mareero areas. The hideouts housed an estimated 10 to 15 ISIS militants.
The operation followed several days of precision U.S. airstrikes that had already neutralised multiple fighters. At first light, approximately 200 PCTF troops pushed into the valley to engage remaining militants.
The joint assault triggered two to four hours of intense close-quarters combat inside the caves, with troops encountering foreign ISIS fighters from Syria, Turkey, and Ethiopia. Despite the heavy resistance, there were no reported American casualties.
Preliminary assessments suggest a senior ISIS-Somalia commander and several of his aides were killed, with total militant casualties estimated between five and ten. Troops also destroyed weapons stockpiles and equipment used in gold-mining operations believed to be a key financial pipeline for the terror group.
Puntland authorities say the offensive is part of Operation Hilaac, which has reportedly brought nearly all of the Cal Miskaad mountains back under government control. Officials have vowed to completely dismantle ISIS-Somalia by December 2025.
U.S. Special Forces, Puntland Troops Launch Major Assault on ISIS-Somalia Strongholds in Baalade Valley
