# Puntland says forces inflict major losses on Islamic State in Cal Miskaad mountains
Puntland forces say they have dealt a significant blow to Islamic State fighters in the Cal Miskaad mountains, a remote and difficult area in northeastern Somalia that has long served as one of the group’s strongest footholds in the country. The claim comes after a series of intensive military operations in terrain that has repeatedly frustrated efforts to dislodge armed groups from the region.
The account provided in the reporting is limited, but the broad picture is clear: Puntland authorities are presenting the latest fighting as another stage in a sustained campaign against Islamic State in the Cal Miskaad range. The mountains have become a strategic refuge for militants because of their steep geography, limited road access and the difficulty of mounting and maintaining operations there.
That makes any advance there more than a local battlefield gain. Control of the Cal Miskaad area affects movement, supply lines and the ability of armed groups to hold territory or move between hideouts. For Puntland, an administration that has long carried much of the burden of internal security in Somalia’s northeast, success against Islamic State in this zone is also politically significant. It signals that local forces are still trying to pressure a group that has adapted to survive in difficult terrain.
The report does not give a casualty count, detail any specific captured sites or describe whether the operation is over. It also does not provide independent confirmation of the scale of the losses claimed by Puntland. Still, the emphasis on “significant victories” suggests the authorities want to frame the operation as a meaningful step rather than a small tactical exchange.
The Cal Miskaad mountains have long been associated with Islamic State activity in Somalia, and the area’s isolation has made it a recurring focus for Puntland military campaigns. That context matters because any claim of success there should be read as part of a wider contest that is measured not only by death tolls but by whether militant groups can keep operating in the highlands.
For Puntland, the challenge is likely to remain the same even if the latest operation has disrupted Islamic State positions. Militants that lose ground in one valley or ridge line can sometimes regroup in another part of the same range. Sustained pressure, reliable supply routes and the ability to hold recovered positions are usually what determine whether a battlefield victory translates into lasting control.
The latest fighting therefore appears to be another test of whether Puntland can convert local military action into durable security gains. For now, the administration is describing the result in strong terms, and the Cal Miskaad mountains remain at the center of that campaign.
Event date: 2025-09-03
