Bosaso (WDN)- The grip of ISIS in Somalia is rapidly disintegrating under the relentless pressure of Puntland’s security forces, who scored two major victories this week against the embattled terror group.

In the latest breakthrough, Puntland Defense Forces (PDF) captured a Turkish ISIS fighter alive on Saturday in the Baalladle valley, deep within the Calmiskad mountain range — an area that once served as a key ISIS sanctuary. The foreign militant, isolated and vulnerable, was found drawing water from a well, armed with an AK-47 rifle but offering no resistance. His capture highlights the growing disarray within the group’s ranks as fighters are cut off, leaderless, and abandoned.

Confirming the arrest, the Puntland Defense Forces’ 3rd Battalion stated:
“The 3rd Battalion has detained a Turkish-born ISIS terrorist. He was operating alone, unaccompanied, and armed, a clear indication of the group’s internal collapse and inability to protect its fighters.”

The captured militant has reportedly provided valuable intelligence, shedding light on the severe losses and breakdown of ISIS’s operations in Puntland. Security sources say the group’s command structure has been decimated, leaving remaining fighters scattered and desperate.

This successful arrest came just one day after Puntland forces launched a large-scale ground and air offensive on Friday in Cadayle, located in Baallade Valley, roughly 26 kilometers southeast of Bosaso. The assault targeted ISIS holdouts who had fled there following earlier defeats in the Calmiskaad mountains.

During the coordinated assault, Puntland troops stormed heavily fortified ISIS positions, killing over 15 Somali militants. Many of those eliminated had previously escaped from Sadow and Dacarre, former ISIS strongholds that have since fallen under Puntland control. The operation not only wiped out entrenched fighters but also destroyed the group’s remaining defensive structures in the area.

Security officials described the offensive as one of the most decisive since operations to eradicate ISIS from Puntland began, signaling the near-total collapse of the terror group’s ambitions in Somalia.

With these successive victories, Puntland continues to tighten its grip on the region’s remaining ISIS elements. What was once a growing threat is now in full retreat, its remnants hunted down in remote valleys, unable to regroup or resist the advancing security forces.

The message from Puntland is clear: ISIS is running out of time—and places to hide.

WardheerNews