Telegram takes down ISIS’s Iclaam news website, a major propaganda outlet covering the war in Puntland. Meanwhile, ISIS shifts its messaging to Facebook.

Telegram has taken decisive action against ISIS propaganda, shutting down the Iclaam website, a key outlet used by the terror group to spread war reports and recruitment messaging. This move disrupts ISIS’s ability to control its narrative on the ongoing conflict in the Calmiskaad mountains of Puntland, where Puntland forces continue their offensive to dismantle the group’s strongholds.

ISIS has long relied on Telegram as a secure and effective platform for communication, recruitment, and psychological warfare. However, tech companies have increasingly cracked down on extremist content, and Iclaam’s removal signals a continued effort to restrict the group’s influence.

While it remains unclear whether the Somali Federal Government played a role in the takedown, Mogadishu has previously targeted and removed hundreds of Al-Shabaab and ISIS-affiliated websites as part of its counterterrorism strategy.

Undeterred, ISIS has swiftly adapted, launching a new media platform, Tageere Radio Hijratayn, through Facebook. This outlet now serves as the group’s primary channel for broadcasting war updates, spreading propaganda, and attempting to radicalize new recruits.

The Puntland government has vowed to take action against those engaging with ISIS media, with authorities already handing down prison sentences to suspected supporters. As Puntland forces continue tightening their grip on ISIS-controlled areas, the battle against the group’s digital footprint has become just as critical as the fight on the ground.

New intelligence points to Somalia-based Abdul Qadir Mumin as ISIS’s global leader, marking a major shift in the terror group’s strategy.

The hunt for ISIS’s global mastermind may have ended in the mountains of Somalia. Intelligence agencies are circling around Abdul Qadir Mumin, the long-time head of ISIS-Somalia, as the man behind the terror group’s global command. A UN-backed intelligence report suggests growing confidence that Mumin, who has survived multiple assassination attempts, is in fact Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, the elusive ISIS caliph. If confirmed, this marks a radical shift in ISIS’s leadership strategy—placing an African warlord at the helm of the world’s most feared terrorist network.

For years, ISIS has concealed its leadership to evade detection, but new evidence shows the group pivoting from Iraq and Syria to Africa, using Somalia as a hardened command center. Mumin operates from a fortified hideout in Somalia’s Golis Mountains, where he has expanded ISIS’s financial empire, boosted recruitment, and secured advanced weaponry, including drones for precision strikes. U.S. airstrikes have failed to eliminate him, and now, his forces are growing bolder, extending their influence across Somalia and beyond.

ISIS’s shift to Africa signals a major challenge for global counterterrorism forces. As Western intelligence scrambles to confirm Mumin’s role, the terror group continues to evolve, embedding itself deeper into Somalia’s lawless terrain while maintaining operational cells in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan. With ISIS-K in Afghanistan escalating attacks and foreign recruits flowing into Somalia, the world may be facing a deadlier, more decentralized ISIS than ever before. If Mumin is indeed the caliph, then the battlefield has changed—making the fight against ISIS even more unpredictable and relentless.

Puntland troops push within 15km of ISIS’s last base in Somalia, vowing total eradication of the group.

Puntland forces are tightening the noose around the last ISIS stronghold in Somalia, pushing within 15 kilometers of the group’s final hideouts in the Al Miskaad mountains. Once spread across the Bari region, ISIS militants now control just 40 square kilometers of rugged terrain as Puntland’s military offensive intensifies.

“We are closing in on their final hideouts, and soon, ISIS will be eradicated from this region,” said Puntland’s Minister of Information, Mohamud Aydid Dirir. He asserted that the operation is in its final stage, with forces poised to enter open areas where armored units can be effectively deployed.

Despite Puntland’s advances, Dirir accused Somalia’s federal government of withholding essential military support, stating that national resources remain centralized in Mogadishu while frontline troops battle terrorists without adequate weapons and ammunition.

Puntland has been leading the charge against ISIS in Somalia for weeks, seeking to destroy the group’s last safe haven and eliminate its ability to wage attacks. Military officials insist that operations will continue until ISIS is completely wiped out from Puntland, reinforcing the region’s autonomy and security.

With ISIS on the brink of defeat, Puntland’s offensive represents a critical moment in Somalia’s fight against terrorism. The final battle is imminent, and Puntland is determined to deliver a decisive blow.

Islamic State-Khorasan’s growing influence in Afghanistan poses a major security risk to the region and beyond, warns UN Security Council.

The UN Security Council has raised alarms over the increasing threat posed by Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) in Afghanistan, warning that the group is actively plotting attacks beyond the region. UN counterterrorism chief Vladimir Voronkov stated that IS-K remains one of the most dangerous branches of ISIS, with networks reaching Europe and Central Asia. The U.S. and China echoed concerns, urging Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers to take decisive action against the terrorist group.

Russia blamed the 2021 NATO withdrawal for fueling IS-K’s expansion, claiming that abandoned Western military equipment has strengthened the group. Meanwhile, Pakistan rejected suggestions that IS-K is recruiting from its territory, insisting that Afghanistan remains the hub for the group’s activities. The Taliban, despite previous claims of eliminating IS-K, continue to face deadly insurgent attacks, including the assassination of a top Taliban minister in December.

With IS-K’s reach growing, the UN has urged all member states to coordinate efforts to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a global terror epicenter once again.

Puntland requests technical and logistical support to sustain military campaign against ISIS in the Al-Miskaat Mountains.

Puntland’s war against ISIS is intensifying, and its leadership is making a direct call to the international community for urgent support. General Abdirahman Mohamed Jama, commander of the Puntland Maritime Police Force (PMPF), has stressed the need for advanced equipment, including drone interceptors, mine detectors, and night vision devices, to sustain military operations in the Bari region.

For over six weeks, Puntland forces have launched relentless offensives, reclaiming hundreds of square kilometers from ISIS control. The Al-Miskaat Mountains have long been a terrorist stronghold, offering militants natural protection and strategic positioning for attacks. However, Puntland’s military advances have disrupted ISIS’s extortion networks and operational bases.

While General Jama clarified that Puntland is not seeking direct foreign military intervention, intelligence-sharing and logistical aid from international partners are critical to ensuring victory. Puntland’s fight against ISIS is a battle for regional stability, and without enhanced support, the terrorist threat could persist.

Terrorist group ramps up drone attacks, targeting Puntland forces with night-vision capabilities.

ISIS in Puntland has escalated its drone warfare, using sophisticated aerial weapons to strike military bases, supply convoys, and frontline troops. Intelligence sources confirm that some of the drones deployed in the Calmiskaad Mountains cost over $9,000 and are equipped with thermal imaging, allowing them to operate effectively at night.

These drones are not just for surveillance—ISIS has weaponized them. Some models drop up to four explosives per mission, while cheaper self-destructive versions target military vehicles and groups of soldiers. The result: Puntland security forces find themselves vulnerable to an airborne enemy they cannot easily counter.

Abdiqani Muse Warsame, a Puntland soldier recovering from a drone attack, described the grim reality. “We can only target the weapons we carry,” he said, highlighting the asymmetry of this new battlefield.

While drone warfare is common among ISIS factions in Syria and Iraq, its expansion into Puntland marks a dangerous shift in tactics. So far, Puntland’s government has yet to deploy an effective counter-drone strategy, leaving troops and supply lines increasingly exposed. If authorities do not act swiftly, ISIS will continue to evolve, transforming Puntland into another theater of high-tech insurgency.

Somalia’s Puntland forces intensify campaign, eliminating foreign ISIS fighters in targeted airstrikes.

A new wave of airstrikes in Somalia’s Puntland has wiped out over 30 Daesh (ISIS) fighters in the Almiskaad mountains, further crippling the terror group’s presence in the region. Puntland’s counterterrorism unit confirmed the strikes, stating that most of the dead were foreign militants.

This latest assault follows a brutal campaign that saw Puntland forces eliminate more than 60 ISIS operatives in coordinated air and ground operations earlier this week. The United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) also confirmed its recent strike on February 1, which killed 14 ISIS fighters, including key recruiter and financier Ahmed Maeleninine—responsible for deploying jihadists into the U.S. and Europe.

Somalia’s war against terrorism is escalating, with security forces relentlessly targeting ISIS and al-Shabaab militants across the country. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s “all-out war” declaration against terror groups has seen Puntland become a crucial battleground, where persistent counterterrorism offensives are systematically dismantling insurgent networks.

As ISIS loses ground, its ability to launch external attacks diminishes, marking a significant victory for Somalia and its international partners in the fight against global terrorism.

Heavy clashes erupt as Puntland forces push deep into ISIS-held territory, reclaiming key positions in Quraca.

A fierce battle is raging in Togga Jaceel as Puntland forces launch a decisive assault on ISIS strongholds. The offensive, aimed at breaking the group’s grip on strategic areas, has already resulted in heavy casualties on both sides.

Puntland security sources confirm that troops have successfully recaptured vital positions in Quraca, a longtime ISIS hideout. However, the cost has been steep—10 Puntland soldiers, including senior officers Colonel Abdisalan Aideed and Colonel Farhan Harare, were killed in an intense overnight battle. Despite this, Puntland forces claim to have eliminated a significant number of ISIS militants, with graphic images circulating as proof of their success.

This confrontation marks a major escalation in Puntland’s war on ISIS, a group that has entrenched itself in the Cal Miskaad mountains and surrounding areas. The stakes are high—defeating ISIS in Puntland is crucial to preventing further terrorist expansion in the Horn of Africa.

With the offensive still underway, the battle for Togga Jaceel is far from over. Puntland’s military is determined to eradicate the ISIS presence once and for all, sending a clear message: terror will find no safe haven in Somalia’s north.