Puntland’s counterterrorism unit said it has arrested dozens of foreign nationals, including nine Moroccans, whom it claims are members of the Islamic State group, during a military operation in the semi-autonomous Somali region.
In a statement posted on its official account on X, the Puntland Counterterrorism Unit said the detainees were captured during operations in the Miskat Mountains, adding that foreign fighters among those arrested came from Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Ethiopia, Syria and Tanzania.
“Our heroic Puntland forces, with support from the United Arab Emirates and U.S. Africa Command, have defeated ISIS in the Miskat Mountains, and the operation is in its final stages,” the statement said.
Part of ongoing military campaign
The arrests are part of a broader military campaign known as Operation Miskat, launched in late November 2024 to drive Islamic State fighters from strongholds in northeastern Puntland. Regional authorities have previously said that about 98% of the mountainous area has been cleared, with operations continuing in the nearby Golis Mountains.
Families dispute terrorism claims
The announcement has renewed controversy in Morocco, as some of the Moroccan names listed by Puntland authorities correspond to individuals who were previously arrested, sentenced to death on terrorism charges, then acquitted after a judicial review in February 2025, according to their families.
Despite the acquittal, the Moroccans remain in detention, and their families have repeatedly called on Moroccan authorities to intervene and secure their return.
According to information previously shared with Moroccan media, six of the Moroccans traveled to Somalia seeking work opportunities but later found themselves trapped amid tensions between Puntland authorities and Somalia’s federal government in Mogadishu. They later surrendered to local authorities, allegedly to avoid forced recruitment by armed groups.
They were subsequently tried by a military court and sentenced to death on terrorism-related charges — a verdict that was later overturned after new evidence emerged, including testimonies from local tribal elders confirming they had no ties to armed groups.
Calls for diplomatic action
In a statement issued this week by the Joint Committee for the Defense of Islamist Detainees, the family of one of the prisoners said the men’s ordeal began as “a search for employment abroad to improve living conditions.”
The statement said the men attempted to leave Somalia after realizing the situation on the ground differed from what they had been promised, but were arrested again despite a final acquittal ruling.
“Although an official decision was issued to deport them to Morocco, it has not been implemented due to legal complications and political disputes between the Puntland administration and Somalia’s federal government,” the statement said.
Families also expressed concern over the lack of independent international monitoring of detention conditions in Puntland prisons.
They urged Moroccan authorities to engage directly with Puntland officials to enforce the acquittal ruling, secure the detainees’ immediate release, and issue emergency travel documents to facilitate their repatriation.
add your comment
Terms of publication : Not to offend the writer, people, sacred things, or attack religions or the divine self, and refrain from racist incitement and insults.