The Islamic State in Somalia is an affiliate of the transnational jihadist group Islamic State , known in short as ISIS. Based in the semi-autonomous northern Somalia territory of Puntland, the terrorist group was the target of the first foreign combat operation of the Trump administration in February 2025. Previously, the group has been linked to planned terror attacks on the Vatican and on the Israeli embassy in Stockholm . Stig Jarle Hansen, a researcher and author Among various texts focusing on jihadism in Africa, this work explores its roots, progression, and most recent setbacks in the mountainous regions of Puntland.
1. The emergence of ISIS
Prior to the formation of the Islamic State in Somalia in 2015, the Somali militant organization Al-Shabaab had taken root in the northern region. This smaller faction maintained strong ties with various smuggling networks. Eventually, it fragmented into two parts, with Sheikh Abdulqader Muumin, who would go on to lead the Islamic State in Somalia, arising from one of these offshoots.
In Somalia, clans define The connection between individuals and various entities within society. The ties established with the Ali Suleiman subgroup allowed this new entity to benefit from the clan’s relationships with illicit trafficking and sea piracy organizations.
Puntland serves as the central point for communications and maritime commerce connecting Somalia with Yemen and the broader Middle East. Illicit activities such as smuggling have been prevalent in this area for many years. Its harsh topography makes it conducive to piracy, unauthorized trafficking, and insurgent operations.
Puntland has largely operated as an independent region within Somalia for over thirty years now, and this situation Somali government has little influence there today.
2. The jihadist behind the Islamic State in Somalia
In the 1990s and early 2000s, Muumin resided in Sweden before relocating to the United Kingdom. Upon returning to Somalia, he affiliated with al-Shabaab and emerged as a notable presence in the organization’s extremist propaganda clips. These video materials serve to uphold principles, recruit newcomers, and garner support for their cause.
In 2015, Muumin deserted to head the Islamic State in Somalia. His deputy was an additional member from the Ali Suleiman clan named Mahad Moalim. The following year, in 2016, the organization released its inaugural video which disseminated via Islamic State communication channels.
A milestone for the group followed its 2017 suicide bombing At the Juba Hotel in Bosaso, which serves as Puntland’s main commercial center and seaport, this allowed the Islamic State in Somalia to exert pressure on local businesses in Bossaso to provide them with protection money. This became their primary means of generating revenue. It is estimated that between 2017 and 2018, they may have been responsible for up to 50 assassinations In Central Somalia, the murders served as a brutal means to extort protection money.
On 27 July 2018, the Somali group was officially designated as a full province by the Islamic State, commonly referred to as ISIS. Maktab al-Karrar The regional office, located in the smaller Puntland chapter, held global responsibilities.
The Somali faction was assigned responsibility for the Central African and Mozambican provinces of the Islamic State. flowed To the group affiliated with the Islamic State, similar funds were also contributed by way of extortions from Bossaso, various northern Puntland towns, and occasionally from Mogadishu.
In the first six months of 2022, the US Treasury alleged that the organization produced US$2.3 million From ransom payments, associated imports, livestock, and agriculture, the regional office and Muumin surfaced as crucial financial figures across East Africa and beyond, operating from their headquarters. Buur Dexhtaal In Bari, which is part of Puntland. Indeed, anonymous US officials claimed In 2023, Muumim was appointed as the transnational leader of the Islamic State.
3. An overblown reputation
The Islamic State’s influence in Somalia is frequently exaggerated. They have not managed to seize or maintain extensive areas of land. Their reported strength in 2024 was thought to range from 600 and 1,600 . That pales in comparison To Al-Shabaab in southern Somalia.
The connections to a proposed assault on the Israeli embassy in Stockholm in 2024 were likely tenuous. did not withstand scrutiny in court And the jihadist associated with a proposed assault in the Vatican during 2018 appears to have departed from the Islamic State before the plotting took place.
It is also doubtful that Muumin is the global leader of the Islamic State as claimed by some That’s due to two primary factors. Firstly, a leader of the Islamic State must come from a tribal background. related to the prophet (Qureshi) Muumin does not qualify. Secondly, the Islamic State in Somalia is the least extensive among the Islamic State’s African provinces. It is probable that a leader from a more powerful province would have been placed higher.
Despite the revenue-generation capabilities of the group based in Puntland lending them significance in the Islamic State’s media output, the Islamic State in Somalia remains notable. is not ranked above The Islamic State in the Sahel region and Mozambique.
4. Knocked down but still standing
In January 2025, the Puntland authorities initiated a fairly effective counter-offensive against the Islamic State. This operation was supported from the sky by international forces. US and the United Arab Emirates .
Puntland achieved significant victories in January and February including an incident in which it eliminated 70 ISIS militants .
By late February, the morale of the ISIS fighters appeared to plummet. With the fall Of Buur Dexhtaal, the primary stronghold, which fell in March, most of the major known bases had been captured. Numerous escaping foreign combatants were captured .
However, the Islamic State has not been defeated yet. The landscape allowed many combatants to go into hiding. Both Muumin, who is around 70 years old, and his deputy, Abdirahman Fahiye, have reportedly survived unharmed. At minimum, several hundred fighters remain active.
Should the Islamic State continue to extract funds from the business sector in the north, it might enlist members among the substantial population of Oromo Ethiopian refugees residing in and around Bosasso, along with local individuals seeking employment opportunities.
Stig Jarle Hansen , Professor of International Relations at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences
Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. Syndigate.info ).
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