BOSSASO (SD)– Puntland today presented foreign fighters captured during the Almiskad offensive against the ISIS group.

The largest number are Ethiopian, followed by individuals from Morocco, Tanzania, and Yemen, while two are Turkish and one is Saudi Arabian.

The ongoing operation highlights the capability of Puntland forces to identify, pursue, and engage adversaries from diverse locations and achieve strategic victories. The campaign has received support from the United States and the United Arab Emirates; however, during its duration, there has been no visible support from the Federal Government of Somalia, which has not joined this operation.

The Almiskad battle has become the longest and costliest conflict Puntland has engaged in with the ISIS group, lasting over a year. Puntland lost hundreds of soldiers and officers in the fighting, while others were injured.

By parading foreign ISIS captives, Puntland is making a powerful statement about its independent military capability and strategic importance. It positions itself not as a regional administration but as a key frontline actor in the global fight against terrorism, capable of conducting complex counterinsurgency operations and capturing international jihadists. This directly challenges the narrative of Mogadishu as the sole representative of Somali security.

The explicit mention that the FGS provided no support is a damning indictment. It publicly underscores the deep fracture between Puntland and Mogadishu, revealing that security cooperation—the most basic function of a state—has broken down. Puntland is signalling that its real security partners are external states (UAE, US), not its own federal capital, further eroding the concept of a unified Somalia.

While Mogadishu is mobilizing troops for a potential political-ethnic conflict with Somaliland over territory, Puntland is showcasing its fight against a global terrorist organization. This creates a powerful contrast: Puntland appears as a responsible security provider tackling a universal threat, while the FGS seems preoccupied with an internal political dispute. This narrative boosts Puntland’s legitimacy internationally and domestically.

In the context of the Somalia-Somaliland crisis, this serves as a warning to Mogadishu: Puntland is a formidable, well-armed, and externally backed entity that will not be bullied and may chart its own course if the federal compact continues to deteriorate. The Somali state is not just facing secession in the north (Somaliland) but also functional disintegration in its core regions like Puntland.