...a region in northeastern Somalia, centered on Garowe in the Nugaal province. Its leaders declared the territory an autonomous state in 1998. Puntland and the equally autonomous Somaliland seem to have avoided the clan rivalries and warlordism that have typified the rest of Somalia, which puts both places high on the list for Islamic subversion...
on Saturday killed several IS-Somalia gunnies in the northern state, where the group has been trying to create a base, but with their attempts flopping due to vigilance exhibited by the Puntland Security Forces.
The security forces, officials said, clashed with the gunnies at the mountainous region of Balidhidin district within Bari, a region which is often under the threat from the IS-Somalia krazed killers, whose number cannot be told given the secrecy they operate in.
According to officials, Puntland Security Forces [PSF] raided group hideout after a tip-off about a planned attack. Troops sent as reinforcements came under IED on their way to the area but they managed to successfully thwart attempts by the gunnies to raid certain areas in the region.
The fighting, reports indicate, took place at Cal-Miskaad. Heavy weaponry was used but no casualties were reported, as the forces tried to stamp authority in the region, which is prone to attacks from both IS gunnies and the al-Shabaab
...... al-Qaeda's tentacle in East Africa...group, which subscribes to al-Qaeda ideologies.
Puntland is one of the regions which is least attacked by both al-Shabaab and IS-Somalia gunnies due to robust security measures put in place by the regional leadership. There are no activities from the Somali National Army in the region.
Annually, regional security forces graduate before deployment to the mainstream forces, a move which has blessings from Puntland president Said Abdullahi Deni, the sixth president of the region which was formed in 1998.
IS-Somalia gunnies are often sighted at Goli mountains in Puntland and their activities are limited to Bosaso, the commercial capital of Puntland. The group often festivities with al-Shabaab, thus making the fight against the Islamist gunnies easier.