On Sunday afternoon, February 16 2025, at least two alleged Daesh (ISIS) militants in the Darar Madobe/Godka Kunle area of the Cal Miskaad Mountains, Bari, in Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland, were killed in an airstrike declared by US Africa Command (AFRICOM) forces in a joint operation with the Federal Government of Somalia and Puntland regional security forces.

According to a statement issued by AFRICOM, the “initial assessment is that the strike killed two ISIS terrorists and no civilians were harmed.” Stars and Stripes news reported that the strike hit areas in northeast Somalia, a region that reportedly “serves as a stronghold” for militants.

KAAB TV reported that the strike hit the Kunle area of the Cal Miskaad mountains, and East African news added that “local authorities and community members reported that” militants “were attempting to flee.” Shabelle Media Network claimed that “Puntland Darawish forces” were involved in the operation, adding that as of February 17 it was still ongoing, with a detailed casualty assessment and incident report to be published upon its conclusion as stated by authorities.

Bloomberg news reported that the US led airstrike was “against Islamic State insurgents in northeastern Somalia.” The Somali Guardian reported that according to the Puntland Counterterrorism Operations Office, two separate airstrikes were carried out on Sunday by US and UAE forces respectively, hitting two areas in the Bari region of Puntland. They added that the strikes “coincided with an ongoing offensive by Puntland security forces to dislodge the extremist group from its strongholds in the area.” According to their report, the first airstrike was carried out by UAE forces on an alleged “ISIS hideout in a cave” in the Hankookib area near Dhasan village, followed by the second airstrike by US forces which hit another cave in the Darar Madobe area. However, in statements to VOA, Brigadier General Mohamud Mohamed Ahmed, a spokesperson for Puntland security operations, identified the locations as Godka Kunle and Xankookin [Hankookib]. AFRICOM did not provide a specific location in their statement, only referring to “Northeast Somalia”.

The Somali Guardian added that the US operation reportedly “destroyed militant vehicles and resulted in casualties among ISIS fighters”, adding that “independent verification of the strike’s impact remains challenging due to the remote and inaccessible nature of the area.” They noted that the region that had been hit was mostly inaccessible by vehicles and required traveling by foot, therefore “leaving regional authorities as the primary source of information.”

Gardaafu Media noted that the strikes took place at night, while Twitter/X user Farah Abdulkadir Mohamed posted that the first strike (attributed to UAE) took place at night, while the second (attributed to the US) occurred later in the afternoon. He added that the first strike hit a weapons depot, while the second reportedly destroyed a vehicle “believed to be loaded with explosives”, adding that at least 16 militants were killed in both strikes.

Brigadier General Mohamud Mohamed Ahmed, in an interview with Voice of America news, said that “The strike carried out by our international security partners” had killed at least 16 militants, including reportedly “two senior members identified as the group’s bomb-makers”,  adding that a “bomb factory” was destroyed. Local news outlet Garowe Online reported on the strikes, quoting the Puntland Counter-Terrorism Command as having claimed that the airstrike carried out by the UAE led to the death of more than 12 militants as a result, including reportedly senior members of the militant group. If “more than 12” is quantified as the lowest value of 13, and this casualty count for the UAE strike is deducted from the total number of militants killed in US and UAE strikes provided by Puntland officials, the killing of at least three militants can be attributed to the US strike. However, even while acknowledging the UAE’s role in the strikes on February 16th, VOA stated that “U.S. airstrikes killed 16 militants affiliated with the Islamic State terrorist group”.

Brigadier General Mohamud Mohamed Ahmed claimed that during the airstrikes, “trying to hit back the bases of our security forces, the militants used seven drones. Puntland forces shot down five of them and two others, apparently with explosives, went off.” He stated that local officials were “working to verify the names and nationalities of the bomb-makers.”

VoA added that Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, in a statement published by the Somali National News Agency (SONNA) commended the U.S. airstrikes.

Sources did not provide names or further details of those killed in the strike.