By Horn Africa News
U.S. warplanes have launched heavy overnight airstrikes on suspected ISIS hideouts in Somalia’s northeastern Bari region, intensifying Washington’s counterterrorism campaign in the Horn of Africa.
The bombardment, which began late Tuesday, targeted militant bases in the Cal Miskaad mountain range, a rugged area that has served as a sanctuary for extremist groups for years. Local sources reported that strikes concentrated on the Baallade valley, particularly near the Maraagade well, an isolated location believed to be a key logistical hub for ISIS fighters.
Eyewitnesses in nearby villages described the strikes as some of the heaviest in recent memory. “We heard the warplanes all night, and the mountains shook,” one villager said. “Flames and smoke were rising from the valleys.” Due to the region’s remoteness, however, independent verification remains difficult.
Security officials in Puntland, the semi-autonomous Somali state that governs Bari, said several militant hideouts were obliterated, including caves and bunkers carved into the cliffs. The officials believe the strikes also destroyed weapons stockpiles and supply routes, but casualty figures remain unconfirmed.
The U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) has not yet released an official statement, though the operation fits a broader pattern of targeted strikes designed to disrupt extremist networks before they can regroup. Washington has long viewed Somalia as a frontline in the fight against terrorism, with both ISIS and Al-Shabaab considered threats to regional and international security.
ISIS in Somalia first emerged in 2015, breaking away from Al-Shabaab and establishing its base in the Cal Miskaad mountains, overlooking the Gulf of Aden. Though smaller in size compared to Al-Shabaab, the group has proven resilient, surviving years of military offensives. Its fighters are notorious for smuggling operations, extortion rackets, and targeted assassinations, particularly in the port city of Bosaso, a key commercial hub.
Analysts note that the timing of the strikes is significant. ISIS militants in Bari had recently intensified recruitment and movements through smuggling routes that connect northern Somalia to Yemen. Disrupting these channels, experts say, is critical for curbing the group’s regional influence.
Still, villagers fear reprisals. ISIS has a history of carrying out retaliatory attacks after U.S. or Puntland offensives. “We are worried they will come down from the mountains to punish us,” a local elder told the media.
If confirmed, the operation would represent one of the most significant U.S. aerial campaigns in northern Somalia this year, highlighting Washington’s determination to prevent the Cal Miskaad mountains from becoming a safe haven for jihadist groups.
