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Drone surveillance tracks IS fighters in remote Somalia
Soldiers from Somalia's Puntland Defence Forces monitor a live drone feed in the al-Miskad mountains, spotting a man they believe is fetching water for Islamic State militants. The army suspects the nearby cave shelters 50 to 60 fighters.
IS expansion in Somalia after Middle East defeats
Ten years ago, the barren al-Miskad region hosted only nomadic communities. That changed when IS established a base, shifting focus to Africa after losing strongholds in Syria and Iraq. By April 2025, US Africa Command's then-leader Gen Michael Langley told Congress ISIS was running its global network from Somalia.
The Pentagon conducted 60 airstrikes against IS-Somalia in 2025 alone. Despite this, terrorism analyst Tricia Bacon notes the group's local attack capacity has been reduced, though it remains a key resource hub for IS affiliates in Africa and Afghanistan.
From al-Shabab defector to IS leader
IS-Somalia was founded by Abdulqadir Mumin, a Somali national who once held British citizenship and lived in Sweden and the UK. In 2015, Mumin appeared in a video with 17 men pledging allegiance to IS, having previously been part of al-Shabab, which still controls much of southern Somalia.
The group drove al-Shabab out of Puntland's al-Miskad mountains, recruiting foreign fighters and becoming a training and financial center. A 2022 US Treasury report stated IS-Somalia raised $2 million that year through extortion, livestock, and agriculture.
Brutality and fear under IS rule
In villages like Dardar, IS imposed harsh rules: men and women were barred from mixing in public, men could not wear trousers below their ankles or have stylish haircuts, and women were forced to wear specific hijabs with gloves and socks. Music was banned.
"Life became very difficult. People were afraid. Some were kidnapped and are still missing."
Said Mohamud Ibrahim, local imam
Mahad Jama, a worshipper in Dardar's mosque, lost his pregnant niece Shukri and her seven-year-old deaf son Said when IS raided their home. "You can't imagine what it feels like to lose your niece... and not even know why she was killed," he says.
Military operations and foreign fighters
After months of fighting, Puntland forces reclaimed Dardar in February 2025 with US support, including a May 2024 strike that killed three IS militants. However, IS still maintains bases in the area.
A UN estimate in June 2025 placed IS-Somalia's strength at up to 800 fighters, over half of them foreign. Puntland forces claim to have killed hundreds in the past 16 months and captured more than 50 foreign fighters from countries like Ethiopia, Morocco, and Syria.
Soldier Abdikhair Abdiriza Jama, 24, displays a photo of a captured Turkish fighter named Hassan. "I didn't believe they existed at first," he says. "But when I held one of them, I realized foreign fighters were attacking our country."
Ongoing clashes and human toll
As soldiers prepare for an assault, mortar rounds pound IS caves, guided by American surveillance drones. The aftermath shows scorched cave entrances, but the effectiveness of the strikes remains unclear.
Officer Muna Ali Dahir, 32, is one of the few women at the base. She fights to protect her eight children, whom she has seen only twice in the past year. "They say: 'Mum is coming back and we will win.' It makes me feel that I am doing the right thing," she says.
Soldiers endure harsh conditions-no running water or electricity, sleeping in makeshift tents, and relying on goats and helicopter supplies. Despite this, Abdiriza Jama vows: "We won't stop until the last fighter is captured."
Resilience and long-term challenges
Tricia Bacon warns that while IS-Somalia is currently weakened, it has a history of recovery. Human rights concerns persist, with groups like Human Rights Watch questioning due process for detainees.
For now, the fight continues. "Whether it takes 10 or 15 years, we will go wherever they move or hide," Abdiriza Jama says. "Only when the land is fully cleared will we rest."
