Bosaso (WDN) – In a move that has stunned security observers, the Al-Shabaab militant group has publicly unveiled its armed unit operating in the Almadow Mountains of Puntland, marking a rare admission of its presence in Somalia’s northeastern state.

For the first time in years, the group released a slick propaganda video showcasing its fighters entrenched in the rugged terrain of the Sanaag region. The footage, broadcast via Al-Shabaab’s official media channels, features militants pledging to escalate attacks across Puntland and vowing never to retreat.

The video release is being seen as both a recruitment tool and a defiant show of force at a time when the group is under mounting pressure from Puntland’s security forces.

Security analysts say the timing of the video is no coincidence. It comes just as Puntland ramps up counter-terror operations against Daesh militants in the nearby Al-Miskaad Mountains. President Saeed Abdullahi Deni recently declared that once operations in Al-Miskaad are complete, troops will pivot to clearing Al-Shabaab from Almadow.

“This is Al-Shabaab’s way of signaling they’re still in the game,” one intelligence source told WardheerNews. “They know a storm is coming, and they’re trying to appear defiant before it hits.”

While Puntland authorities have yet to issue an official response, local security sources confirm that surveillance and preparations are underway for a focused offensive against the newly revealed Al-Shabaab unit.

The group’s media maneuver underscores its broader strategy: maintaining visibility, bolstering recruitment, and projecting resilience in the face of intensified counter-terror efforts.

Observers say the message is clear—Al-Shabaab wants the world to know it’s not going quietly from Puntland. But with multiple fronts opening against them, the question remains: how long can they hold out in the mountains?

WardheerNews