At least seven suspected ISIS fighters have been killed and several others following clashes with Puntland forces in northeastern Somalia.
In a statement, Puntland Security Forces (PSF) said its forces conducted military sting operations aimed at disrupting the terror cell in the coastal town of Hafun in the northeast part of the country.
During the operations, the forces also captured four militants sent by ISIS to collect illicit equipment between Isse village and Timirshe town.
According to the statement, three other operatives were later arrested in the Marodi Magale valley, a village near Timirshe
“Our gallant troops had carried out this successful operation that aimed to disrupt pro-ISIS terrorist group operating in Hulcaanod, Carid, and Hafun,” PSF said in a statement.
ISIS was formed in 2015 by former fighters of al-Shabaab, who deserted the group following disagreement with the top leaders of Al-Shabaab, an al-Qaeda affiliate group, which mainly operates in south and central Somalia.
The group leader and founder Abdulkadir Mumin, also a former Al-Shabaab cleric pledged his allegiance to the then IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in 2015.
In 2016, the U.S. State Department designated Mumin, a former preacher based in the UK as a global terrorist.
The group has its headquarters in Galgala mountains in Bari region but has made headways into southern Somalia.
