Mogadishu, Somalia – The Federal Government of Somalia, in partnership with the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), conducted a joint airstrike operation targeting members of the ISIS (Daacish) group in the Bari region of Puntland.

According to an official statement from Somalia’s Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism, the airstrike was carried out southeast of Boosaaso, in the area of the Cal-Miskaad Mountains, where ISIS militants were believed to be hiding. The strike was conducted in support of Puntland’s Darawish forces who have been engaged in ongoing operations to eliminate extremist threats.

“The operation supported the efforts of the Puntland State’s Darawish Forces to eliminate the Khawarij,” the statement read.

Local sources reported loud explosions heard in nearby villages, confirming the intensity of the strike. Preliminary assessments by the government indicate that several ISIS members were killed, with no civilian casualties reported.

While AFRICOM has not yet issued its own statement, the Somali government emphasized that it will continue to cooperate with international partners, especially AFRICOM, to counter the threat posed by ISIS and Al-Shabaab, both designated as terrorist organizations by the United Nations and multiple international bodies.