Senior IS Somalia commander captured in Puntland

A senior commander of Islamic State’s Somalia branch has been captured in Puntland, authorities said Monday, as security forces continue a major offensive against the group following U.S. airstrikes on its leadership over the weekend.

Somalia’s IS faction has grown in prominence within the global jihadist network in recent years, bolstered by foreign fighters and increased revenue from extortion. The group has also adopted more sophisticated tactics, claiming in December to have used two booby-trapped vehicles in an attack on a military base.

Abdirahman Shirwac Aw-Saciid, the leader of IS Somalia’s assassination unit, surrendered to authorities in the Cal Miskaad mountains, according to Somalia’s state news agency SONNA. Puntland police confirmed his capture, identifying him by his alias “Laahoor.” He was also responsible for extorting local businesses on behalf of the group, said Abdikadir Jama Dirir, police chief of the Bari region.

Puntland launched a large-scale operation against both IS and the rival al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab in December, claiming to have seized multiple IS bases since then.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said Sunday that initial assessments of Saturday’s airstrikes suggested heavy militant casualties.

While IS Somalia was long considered a minor player compared to al Shabaab, its growing influence has raised security concerns. Somali authorities continue struggling to reassert control after more than three decades of conflict following the 1991 overthrow of President Siad Barre.

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