The government of Somalia in Mogadishu has announced on Friday that the commander of Daesh (ISIS) operations in Somalia has been killed in armed clashes in the eastern state of Puntland.
Puntland State forces killed Abu-Albara Al Amani, the ISIS commander, during an operation in Bari region, northeastern Somalia, Somali National News Agency (SONNA) reported, citing Puntland State’s statement.
According to the statement, Abu-Albara was killed after the group carried out a raid at a police station in the municipality of Balidhidin in the region overnight.
During the raid on Balidhidin police station, one soldier from Puntland State forces was also killed, the statement read.
The police identified the dead commander to be of Amhara origin from Ethiopia, whom reportedly had coerced a significant number of Ethiopians to join the terrorist group.
ISIS had appointed Abu-Albara as the head of Somali operations in July 2021, following the demise of his predecessor Abu Waliid Al-Muhaajir, who succumbed to injuries sustained during a counter-terrorism operation conducted by Puntland security forces in the vicinity of the Al-Miskaad hills.
