ISIS Attacks Military Base In Somalia With Car Bombing
JAKARTA - ISIS armed groups attacked a military base in the northeastern state of Puntland, Somalia, last night with suicide bombings on cars and motorbikes.
Puntland announced a massive attack on ISIS and its rival Islamist group, al Shabaab, linked to Al Qaeda, in December.
Puntland authorities claim to have killed dozens of foreign fighters, seized several ISIS bases, and forced a senior commander to surrender.
Last night after midnight, ISIS fighters attacked us at a recently released base with car bombs and suicide motorbikes. Many ISIS infantry forces attacked us, and fighting is still ongoing, "Mohamud Fadhigo, a spokesman for the Puntland military, told Reuters on Tuesday, February 11.
The ISIS faction in Somalia has become an increasingly important part of its parent organization network around the world in recent years, and was targeted by US airstrikes earlier this month.
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Somalia's news agency reported on Tuesday that security forces intercepted attacks on military positions in the Hagaaro and Togo-Jecel areas of Cal Miskaad mountains in Puntland.
With about 700 to 1,500 fighters, the wing of ISIS in Somalia has grown in recent years thanks to the entry of foreign fighters and increased revenue.
But this group is still much smaller than Al Shabaab, which controls most of Somalia's southern and central regions.