A fierce battle erupted between the Puntland Defense Forces (PDF) and ISIS militants at the outskirts of Miirale Valley in the Al Miskat Mountains, where the extremist group had been cornered with no escape route.
In a pre-dawn raid, Puntland forces launched an offensive, targeting ISIS hideouts in the Isha-Tabakar area, near Miirale Valley in Bari region. By midday, the troops had stormed underground caves and strongholds where the militants had been holed up.
According to reliable sources, at least six foreign militant fighters were neutralised in the clashes, while several Puntland soldiers sustained injuries.
The Puntland military operations media office, in a brief statement, confirmed that security forces had carried out counterterrorism operations in the Isha-Tabakar sector of Miiraale Valley. However, officials did not disclose further details.
“The operation was in full swing, with security forces combing through militant hideouts in and around Miirale Valley, including the Isha-Tabakar area,” the statement read.
