Garowe(Mogadishu24)-Puntland State authorities on Tuesday captured key IS militant leaders following an operation by the regional army in the Amamo area of the Balidhidin district within the Bari region northeast Somalia.

The Puntland Police Command issued a press release confirming that the apprehended leaders hail from Sudan and Syria. Notably, one of the captured individuals is identified as Mohamed Ibrahim Daha, a Sudanese national. Limited information has been disclosed by the police regarding the detainees.

In January 2023, Puntland security forces achieved a significant breakthrough by eliminating Abu Albara Al Amani, the mastermind behind IS militants’ operations, who was originally from the Amhara region of Ethiopia.

IS, known for maintaining concealed bases in the Al-Miskaad mountains within the Bari region, has repeatedly targeted the remote Balidhidhin district with its attacks.

Puntland State authorities remain vigilant in their efforts to dismantle Daesh networks and eliminate the threat they pose to the region.

IS is the second major terrorist organization after Al-Shabaab militants operating in Somalia, but this group is based in Puntland’s mountains zone of Gal-gala and remote areas in the same Barri region.