Saturday 26,July 2025 {HMC} Puntland regional security forces, in collaboration with their U.S. counterparts, have captured a senior ISIS-Somalia leader during a coordinated counterterrorism operation in the mountainous areas of the Bari region, according to a brief statement published on the official website of Operation Hilaac.
The detained individual was identified as Abdiweli Mohamed Aw Yusuf, also known as Abdiweli Walalac, who served as the head of finance and foreign relations for ISIS-Somalia. He was captured along with two others during the operation.
Abdiweli Walalac was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department in July 2023, placing him on the list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT).
According to a statement from the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), Abdiweli played a significant role in supplying ISIS-Somalia with foreign fighters, military equipment, and ammunition. The OFAC noted that ISIS-Somalia served as a central hub for financial coordination and strategic direction for ISIS’s broader operations across Africa.
ISIS-Somalia has been widely documented as engaging in extortion targeting financial institutions, local businesses, and mobile money service providers. Exploiting weaknesses in Somalia’s financial and governance systems, the group has used mobile money platforms and hawala networks to finance its activities. Reports indicate that the group extorted nearly $2 million in 2022, a slight decrease from $2.5 million in 2021.
Since 2019, Abdiweli has served as ISIS-Somalia’s chief financial officer and maintained strong links with other senior figures in the group, including Abdirahman Fahiye Isse and Abdiqadir Mumin, both previously designated as global terrorists.
The arrest of Abdiweli Walalac marks a significant blow to the financial and operational structure of ISIS-Somalia and is expected to disrupt the group’s ability to coordinate attacks and secure funding across the region.
Source Hiiraan online
