Bosaso (WDN) — Somalia’s counterterrorism efforts have reached a significant milestone as Operation Calmiskaad continues to dismantle the Islamic State’s (ISIS) leadership in the country. Officials confirmed the deaths of several high-ranking figures within the extremist group, dealing what authorities describe as a near-fatal blow to ISIS’s command structure in the region.
According to sources familiar with the operation, eight senior ISIS leaders—many of them foreign nationals—were killed in precision strikes and coordinated ground offensives carried out over the past several months. The campaign, which began in 2024 and is now entering its fourth and reportedly final phase, has led to the elimination of what Puntland authorities call the “nerve center” of ISIS in the Calmiskaad region.
The key figures killed in the operation include:
1) Ibrahim Khayaan (Moroccan) – The group’s chief bomb-maker, responsible for establishing a sophisticated explosives production facility used in attacks across Somalia.
2) Dr. Hakeem Cubeyda (Malaysian) – ISIS’s top medical officer, overseeing a clandestine network of field clinics that treated wounded militants and helped sustain the group’s fighting capacity.
3) Marwan Abdirisak (Tunisian) – Leader of ISIS’s elite foreign fighters division, commanding international jihadists with extensive combat training.
4) Abdihakim Badiin Muwallad (Yemeni) – Head of the group’s so-called “Islamic Police,” tasked with enforcing ISIS’s harsh interpretation of law in occupied territories.
5) Barrow Abdi Macalin (Somali, from Gedo) – The highest-ranking Somali in the group, Barrow served as administrator of ISIS-controlled territory in the Shebaab-Dhasaan region along the Jeceel Valley.
6) Ahmed Salah (Sudanese) – Director of ISIS’s propaganda and indoctrination arm, charged with spreading extremist ideology and recruiting civilians into the group.
7) Ahmed Muse Said (Somali, UAE-born) – The group’s head of international relations, who liaised with foreign militant networks and was reportedly fluent in multiple languages.
8) Ahmed Macallineyn (Omani) – A key strategist responsible for planning international attacks and coordinating the smuggling of foreign fighters into Somalia. He was killed in a targeted airstrike.
Puntland security sources say that Operation Calmiskaad, backed by international partners including the United States and the United Arab Emirates, has so far achieved 98% of its objectives. The fourth and current phase of the mission focuses on clearing the final hideouts believed to be harboring the remaining ISIS fighters.
“The operation has been a game-changer,” said a senior security official involved in the campaign. “By eliminating the top leadership, we’ve not only disrupted the group’s ability to operate, but also sent a strong message to anyone who thinks Puntland can be used as a safe haven for terrorism.”
The operation has garnered praise from both domestic and international observers, though experts caution that while leadership decapitation is a major success, long-term stability will require continued pressure and post-conflict stabilization efforts.
Despite ISIS’s weakening presence, pockets of resistance remain in remote areas. Officials warn that the fight is not over, but optimism is growing that the group’s days in Puntland are numbered.
WardheerNews