Thursday 27, Nov 2025 {HMC}US Special Forces and Puntland counter-terrorism units have carried out a coordinated operation targeting an ISIS hideout in Somalia’s Balade Valley.
According to security sources on Wednesday, dozens of US troops were inserted into the area using MH-60 helicopters, while MQ-9 Reaper drones conducted precision strikes on a base believed to house between 10 and 15 ISIS fighters in the Habarbakuuje and Mareero areas of the valley.
The operation triggered a fierce gun battle lasting two to four hours in a fortified hideout thought to shelter foreign fighters from Syria, Turkey, and Ethiopia.
Initial reports indicate that a senior ISIS commander and several of his aides were killed, with an estimated 5 to 10 confirmed militant deaths. The joint forces also destroyed a cache of weapons and equipment used by the group in its gold-mining operations, a key source of financial revenue for ISIS in Puntland.
The Puntland administration has repeatedly stated that it aims to eliminate ISIS in the region by the end of 2025.
The United States has been supporting Puntland with airstrikes and intelligence in the mountainous areas, forcing militants to abandon several positions and withdraw into isolated hideouts.
Source Hiiraan Online
