The fight for Survival, Miracles, sacrifice, and the Final collapse of the Almiskaat Terror network

We are high in the sky, and we want to land. It is a chain of high, connected mountains that are inaccessible by any means of transport. The only means of transport used here is this plane that we are on today. From the moment I stepped off the aircraft, my eyes caught the Somali flag waving inside this camp. The young women and men here were full of courage; they welcomed us warmly. For some of them, this wasn’t our first time meeting we had already spent difficult days together since the beginning of this war against the terrorist group. But some of these soldiers died after we left this frontline, fulfilling their mission and their determination to defeat the terrorists. The current location of the operation is a 3-hour walk away. We decided to walk to the front line of the battle, where the top commanders of these forces were stationed, showing no fear standing side by side with their soldiers. The Almiskaat mountains in Puntland’s Bari region lie open to the key routes of the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. They became the second home for ISIS after they were driven out of Raqqa and Syria, a place where they regrouped and tried once again to establish a base from which they could threaten the world. At that time, more than 15 countries who are the major military powers of the world united in a joint offensive against them. Eleven years later, Puntland, relying on its own strength, entered a fierce battle against this group, whose warfare tactics and ideology extend far beyond the borders of Africa. “‘The terrorist group known as ISIS is a threat to Africa, a threat to Somalia, and a threat to the world. That battle required all Somalis to unite, and the Federal Government should have gone to the front lines without hesitation. The fact that this country does not have a united government, with a unified ideology and policy is evidenced by the way the Federal Government approached the war." Prof Keynaan Videos released by these terrorist groups in the mountains and information captured from their key locations revealed that this group was international, with more than 90% of its fighters being foreigners from around the world, to propagate their ideology here, but the PL has turned this into an illusion. "The war has been won, 95% of ISIS's power has been destroyed, and the areas where they intended to establish bases have been captured. All the equipment they intended to use to kill people was seized, the factories they planned to use to produce weapons of mass destruction were destroyed, and both their weapons and fighters were eliminated,” said Siciid Deni. This land is harsh, has elevated layers, large natural defensive caves, and land is unsuitable for combat vehicles. These mountains require specialized knowledge to navigate; they are steep and extremely rugged, making it difficult for an ordinary person to walk on foot. It’s even more difficult when a fully armed soldier has to walk through them. But now the local forces fighting here are trained and battle-hardened and are in the process of eliminating terrorists. "While traveling along this road, the most common things you see are weapons of war and various materials used to treat injuries by terrorist groups." “While in Haraaryo and Qurac, we passed a mix of military and medical vehicles, here the only transport we regularly see are natural means like camels and donkeys, which are all types of transport here.” “Currently, our vehicles are just One EJs and ‘kamaasyo’ camels, called kamaasyo, carry the troops’ supplies, and the donkeys, or One EJs, carry the soldiers’ rifles and machine guns. As you can see here, these are the vehicles used in the mountains.” “This is natural rock, impossible for a person to move or manipulate. But it’s naturally fortified land, it is a mountain. The open area you see here is the most accessible part, and this is how the defenses are arranged.” For more than 10 months that this operation has been ongoing, Puntland has been engaged in a relentless operation against those who oppose peace and stability. Every perspective once held has today been replaced by reality. Now they are hiding in those caves and crevices. If they had the strength to fight, they could have held their ground, defending their equipment, bases, and property. But all of that has been seized or destroyed, leaving them unable to protect themselves or their people.” Their weakness forces them to keep sneaking around, moving from cave to cave and place to place. So our decision is clear: wherever they flee, we will pursue them until they are completely eradicated". These troops are courageous, and I saw soldiers who do not fear death. Their commanders are firmly positioned on the frontline, the people stand united, all driven by one shared determination. “Human life is created by God, and the place where one dies is already destined. But what matters is that you remain to defend your country, no matter the sacrifice, while those who came from elsewhere are driven out. That has always been our commitment. There is nothing else, their strength has collapsed, and only a few scattered fighters remain hiding in different places. The toughest battles were in Hararyo and Af Qiyaame, I was there all along. These men have no remaining strength; they’re finished. Only the locals who used to work with them are still around, and even they are leaving.” After a long day of work, visiting various command bases and different frontlines and interviewing the commanders of the units stationed here, we finally arrived at a military base in the Baallade valley, one of the last areas where the terrorist group is being fought." “The group we are fighting is now very close to us. At most, the distance from where we stand to their final defensive positions is about 700 meters, believed to hold the largest concentration of their forces. During my time at these frontlines, I saw the troops operating with high discipline, prioritizing every action under the command of God, demonstrating a force poised for victory on both sides. Whenever fighting occurs, the emergency vehicles used to carry the wounded here are camels and donkeys. This battle is leaving behind historic events that will not be forgotten, and the troops are recording in their logs the toughest fight they have ever faced, having overcome every challenge. “When a wounded person needs to be evacuated, they are transported on camels. Removing the injured from the mountains is no easy task, two men carrying a stretcher up a steep mountain face is extremely difficult. The mountains are harsh for any human, and the wounded are heavy. The lack of vehicles hasn’t posed a major obstacle; our transport is the natural means the Somali people have always used.” The officers told us that the operation was taking place in different directions at the same time, yet the troops are holding on to these rugged mountains and are taking every possible step to prevail. This is a resilience that surpasses all Somali forces fighting this enemy. “The reason is that they have a mandate, but we do not. This is our country, and for the next ten years, we intend to fight here, even if it’s just the two of us. We are not bound by any timeline. The troops are extremely cautious to ensure that no soldier or officer is lost due to negligence. The area you mentioned, just 500 steps from here, has our forces on the northern side, and more of our troops positioned to the south. We are here on the western side, facing the sun. This position requires us to be very careful as we secure the safety of our equipment and the soldiers we are responsible for. ” Gen, Abdirahmaan Dhimbil PMPF COMANDER. Before this operation began, ISIS portrayed itself as a powerful force, planning to capture Bosaso, as the Puntland president recently told us, but current enforcement officials are now eradicating this group. “A man who digs himself into a cave is someone whose life is already in desperation, with nowhere left to run. He hides inside these God‑made mountain caverns like the one we’re sitting in. He finds a spot and points his rifle from there. He won’t shoot while you’re just passing by, only when you fire first does he think he must defend himself. But even then, he can’t really defend himself.” Every action that takes place in Almiskaat serves as a lesson for other Somali forces engaged in similar wars, and these forces provide opportunities every day that must be exploited to defeat those who oppose peace. If this group once controlled the vast areas of Almiskaat, a territory stretching more than 250 kilometers, they are now in hiding. They no longer have military command centers or identifiable bases. Their former strongholds, from Sheebaab all the way to their main base in Miiraale, have today been reduced to natural caves and crevices that the troops are clearing out. "You know these men? They are hiding. A hyena once said, 'Whatever place where I am being expelled to is my home'." There is no place they own, no territory they control, and nowhere anyone can point to as their base. They are simply running and hiding, and the decision of both the government and our forces is that they will not be allowed to escape anywhere.” ISIS was once a powerful force, carrying out drone strikes & direct attacks from the beginning of the Ja'eel River to Miraale, but that is no longer the case today. “There was a time when they attacked us, they were the ones on the offensive. They struck us with aircraft and drones, at times with infantry assaults, and at other times with explosions, landmines, and hand‑grenades. We witnessed fighters strapping explosives, firing shots, throwing grenades, and then blowing themselves up. Currently, thank God, we are in a time when they are being sought like a rat looking through a hole, so to the people of Somalia and Puntland, I can say that we have defeated the terrorists.” Military personnel often witness actions that are not reported to the public but are endured and defeated. "Praise be to God, Lord of the worlds, most of the army are in the defensive positions these men are now using in the caves are so concealed that you can step over them and be walking among plants. Once those plants are cleared and you reach the top, bullets may strike, but the fighters retreat into the caves. People are fighting inside the ground itself, yet, by God’s will, we are prevailing.” These forces have pushed ISIS into such tight confinement that every fighter now fears his own life, fully convinced that there is no escape for them anywhere. “These men are at their lowest, weakest, and most desperate position of their lives. What’s shocking is seeing a fighter standing in a tree while his comrade is being killed beside him, offering no help, defending neither against the enemy nor the bullets coming their way. These are the astonishing sights we witnessed here, things we had never seen before, and that left us amazed.” The lack of combat transport, the harsh weather, and the mountainous land without direct roads, were some of the most difficult military training lessons for the PL forces. Initially, there were fears that this would pose a challenge, but today it made them a resilient and well-trained army. "I come from a region that doesn't have many mountains, so I was very afraid that I and many of my friends wouldn't be able to cross the mountains, but now we have adapted and surpassed both the people and ISIS fighters trained in these mountains.” These armed soldiers are accompanied by medical professionals & journalists, each playing their own role, meaning that no one is left behind. “We left the base far behind; the ground we’re crossing now in Baallade is a very long distance. The place that used to serve as our base is now far behind us. I decided not to stay back at the base; I preferred to move forward with my troops and help the wounded.” “I feel like I’m better than most people, am carrying my backpack, my water container, and my rifle, all together.” The military commanders told me that various drugs of many types were found in the terrorists’ caves and cleared areas, showing that they were impostors falsely claiming to represent the religion. “We were shocked because no vehicles come to this place, and there isn’t even a small air pump shop. What surprised us most was the use of this drug called ‘99.’ For every man you kill, he has at least two or three pills with him, along with a whole box of tablets. We saw a homeless‑style life inside Baallade’e, and that’s the kind of life these men are living now.” Part of the success is due to the air operations being carried out by international forces, for which the military leadership is grateful for the kind of support they have received. “Our brothers helped us and did many things alongside us. Without them, reaching this place would have been very difficult. They accomplished much, even clearing areas that would have been impossible to secure. They are still ready, as they told us, they are willing to fight until all terrorists are eradicated, God Willing. The fighters we are confronting are international terrorists who have waged war across many countries and harmed countless communities. They are not just a threat to us alone but to the entire nation. That is why international cooperation has been essential." Commander of the PMPF - Gen. Dhimbil. “You can hear the different sounds of gunfire. The commanders are telling us to take cover under the trees, because it's here behind that soldier that the most gunfire is happening right now, and the army is inside, fighting." After the end of the war, the PL is working on another strategy to retain the area, as Puntland President Said Deni told us. “The current phase in Calmiskaat, I hope, will conclude soon. But other phases will follow in the area to ensure that, having seen its dangers, permanent forces are stationed there so that it can never again be infiltrated, and what happened in 2015 does not happen again. “ In conclusion: Puntland has led the fight against terrorism in Somalia, strengthening its role despite previous challenges. The lessons and tactics learned from the Almiskaat operation are of great value to Somalis, showing how to effectively weaken those who oppose life, peace, and development. This is crucial for the country to achieve stability and reduce reliance on foreign security assistance.