Friday March 13, 2026
Bosaso (HOL) — At least five Puntland Defense Force soldiers were killed and several others wounded Friday in a roadside bomb attack on the highway linking Bosaso and Dhaadaar in the Al-Khalifa area, security officials said.
The explosion struck a military vehicle traveling through the area. Local authorities believe the attack was carried out by the Islamic State group’s Somalia affiliate, which operates in the mountainous terrain of the Bari region.
Earlier this week, a security assessment was reportedly presented to the Puntland Cabinet indicating that ISIS continues to receive logistical support. Security sources said the group has been supplied with food and livestock by sympathizers in rural communities.
The attack occurred three days after U.S. Africa Command conducted an airstrike targeting ISIS militants in the Baallade stream area of the Calmiskaad mountains, about 70 kilometers southeast of Bosaso. AFRICOM said the strike was carried out in coordination with the Somali federal government to degrade the group’s operational capabilities.
ISIS-Somalia, though smaller than al-Shabab, has maintained a presence in northeastern Somalia for years, using remote mountain hideouts as operational bases. The group has staged assassinations, bombings and extortion campaigns, primarily in Puntland.
