The Islamic State leads and claims a complex and coordinated attack in Somalia

Details and photos

Amaq News Agency, the official media of the Islamic State, released a lengthy statement claiming the large coordinated attack conducted by the Somali province against a camp of Puntland forces in Somalia.

According to Amaq News, the attack was carried out by 12 militants at dawn yesterday, Tuesday, and was conducted with two SVBIED (Suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive device and direct attacks by 8 Inghimasi (according to the claim composed of 7 different nationalities), against a supply headquarters of the Puntland armed forces in the village of Darjali, in the administrative region of Bari, in the federal state of Puntland.

IS claims that the toll of the attack amounts to about 22 dead, in addition to wounded, and the destruction of at least 10 military vehicles.

Below is the fully translated statement:

“Dozens of people were killed and injured in a major coordinated attack by the Islamic State against a camp of the Puntland forces in Somalia.

Somalia - Bari - Amaq Agency: At least 20 people were killed among the Puntland forces and dozens were injured in a major and coordinated attack by the Islamic State against a camp in the Bari region of northeastern Somalia, using car bombs and intruders.

Military sources reported to the Amaq agency that the attack carried out by 12 fighters at dawn yesterday, Tuesday, began with the martyr explosion of a car bomb at a force refuelling headquarters in the village of Darjali in the Iskochoban region, leaving massive destruction in the place.

Sources added that 5 Inghim attacked a position of troops near the supply headquarters after the first bombing.

The sources explained that a second car bomb was launched by two martyrs, one of whom was equipped with a medium machine gun. They blew her up in a camp of the main forces, followed by 4 Inghami who raided the field.

The sources indicate that the Inghmasi were equipped with light and medium machine guns, rocket propulsion grenades and hand bombs, as well as explosive belts, some of which were detonated on the enemy during the clashes.

The sources revealed that the perpetrators of the attack, belonging to 7 different nationalities, managed to bypass the enemy Defence lines and penetrate 80 kilometres deep, reaching the last lines in the village that included the mobilisation and supply camp.

The sources confirmed that the toll of the attack amounts to about 22 dead, in addition to the injured, and the destruction of at least 10 vehicles, in the great secret of the enemy about the losses.

The surprise attack preceded a major military campaign that Puntland forces were preparing, with American support, to attack Islamic State positions in the region”.

Official Islamic State media published a photo report to show the 12 militants from IS-Somalia province who conducted the combined attack against the Puntland forces' camp in the village of Darjali, in the Bari region of north-eastern Somalia:

The militants are from the following countries: Morocco (2), Tanzania (4), Saudi Arabia (2), Tunisia, Yemen, Libya and Ethiopia.

Prior to this major attack, the largest ever conducted in Somalia by the Islamic State, from 12 September to 25 December, the Somali province had claimed only one attack, conducted against Somali police forces on the outskirts of Mogadishu.

Daniele Garofalo is a researcher and analyst on Jihadist Terrorism, Islamist Insurgents and Armed Groups. He is an expert in Monitoring Jihadist Media Channels and Islamist rebels and Armed Groups.

Support my research, analysis and monitoring with a donation here PayPal.Me/DanieleGarofalo88