Latest news with #Puntland
Bloomberg
6 days ago
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Somalia State Probing Turkey-Linked Cargo Seized Off Its Coast
Somalia's semi-autonomous Puntland region acknowledged it's holding a vessel full of military equipment until it can work out who the cargo belongs to. The federal government on Wednesday accused Puntland authorities of seizing MV Sea World with a shipment destined for a Turkish military training facility in the capital, Mogadishu. Puntland said traders in the city had claimed ownership and that Turkey's ambassador had also reached out.
Bloomberg
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Somalia Accuses Semi-Autonomous State of Seizing Turkish Arms
Somalia accused the semi-autonomous Puntland region of hijacking a ship with military equipment destined for a training facility in the capital, Mogadishu, that's run by the Turkish government. 'In accordance with bilateral agreement between Somalia and Turkey, the cargo was legally authorized and fully compliant with both national and international laws,' Somalia's Ministry of Information said in a statement demanding the release of the vessel christened Sea World.
Russia Today
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
African state arrests dozens of suspected IS militants
Ethiopia has arrested dozens of suspected Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) militants accused of plotting attacks across the country, state broadcaster Fana reported on Tuesday, citing a statement from the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS). According to the outlet, the suspects are members of the Somali branch of IS, known as Daesh, which operates in Somalia's semi-autonomous Puntland region. They were apprehended in a joint operation by Ethiopia's federal police and regional security forces at locations including the capital Addis Ababa, and in the Oromia and Amhara regions. 'NISS has been closely monitoring the group's cross-border infiltration strategies and its efforts to establish sleeper cells in Ethiopia,' Fana stated. The militants were allegedly trained in Puntland and deployed to establish sleeper cells and coordinate attacks inside Ethiopia, according to the statement. It also reported that operatives were in direct contact with IS and engaged in logistical, financial, and operational support, with some also functioning as intelligence agents and recruiters. Daesh remains a rival to the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Al-Shabaab, Somalia's dominant terrorist organization, which routinely launches bomb and gun attacks on civilians and military targets in a bid to topple the government and impose its rule. The two factions reportedly clash over territory, ideology, and resources. Earlier this week, al-Shabaab fighters reportedly seized Tardo, a town in Somalia's central Hiiran region. In May, the group killed at least ten people in a suicide bombing outside a military base in Mogadishu, just weeks after targeting the convoy of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. The assaults have continued despite claims by US Africa Command that American forces have conducted 25 airstrikes against both IS and al-Shabaab in Somalia since President Donald Trump took office in January. The crackdown comes amid heightened insecurity in Ethiopia's northern region, where a brutal two-year civil war in Tigray displaced millions and killed well over 100,000 people, according to estimates by the Peace Research Institute Oslo. Although a peace agreement was signed in 2022, tensions persist between federal forces and Tigrayan factions over key issues such as disarmament and territorial disputes remaining unresolved.
Al Arabiya
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Ethiopia arrests dozens of suspected ISIS militants, Fana broadcaster reports
Ethiopia has arrested dozens of suspected ISIS militants, who it claimed have been trained and deployed to carry out operations across the country, the state-affiliated Fana broadcaster reported. The 82 suspects were part of ISIS' Somalia affiliate, which operates in the semi-autonomous Puntland region, according to a statement by the National Intelligence Security Services which was shared with Fana. The ISIS faction in Somalia has become an increasingly important part of its parent organization's worldwide network in recent years. 'NISS has been closely monitoring the group's cross-border infiltration strategies and its efforts to establish sleeper cells in Ethiopia,' Fana reported late on Tuesday. With an estimated 700 to 1,500 fighters, ISIS' Somalia wing has grown in recent years thanks to an influx of foreign fighters and increasing revenues. But it is still much smaller than al Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab militant group, which controls large parts of southern and central Somalia. The US military has carried out periodic air strikes against the group for years and recently intensified the strikes since President Donald Trump took office. Puntland government forces have captured large portions of territory from ISIS since announcing a major offensive against them in December.
Asharq Al-Awsat
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Ethiopia Reportedly Arrests Dozens of Suspected ISIS Militants
Ethiopia has arrested dozens of suspected ISIS militants, who it claimed have been trained and deployed to carry out operations across the country, the state-affiliated Fana broadcaster reported. The 82 suspects were part of ISIS's Somalia affiliate, which operates in the semi-autonomous Puntland region, according to a statement by the National Intelligence Security Services which was shared with Fana. The ISIS faction in Somalia has become an increasingly important part of its parent organization's worldwide network in recent years. "NISS has been closely monitoring the group's cross-border infiltration strategies and its efforts to establish sleeper cells in Ethiopia," Fana reported late on Tuesday. With an estimated 700 to 1,500 fighters, ISIS's Somalia wing has grown in recent years thanks to an influx of foreign fighters and increasing revenues. But it is still much smaller than al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab militant group, which controls large parts of southern and central Somalia. The US military has carried out periodic airstrikes against the group for years and recently intensified the strikes since President Donald Trump took office. Puntland government forces have captured large portions of territory from ISIS since announcing a major offensive against them in December.
