Puntland says Turkish ISIS fighter captured, claim disputed

[Deeq A.]

BOOSAASO, Somalia — Authorities in Somalia’s Puntland region say they have captured a foreign Islamic State (ISIS) militant of Turkish origin — a claim now drawing sharp criticism from a Turkish political analyst who accuses Puntland of spreading disinformation.

The arrest took place during a recent security operation in the Baalade valley, a remote area in the rugged Bari region, where Puntland forces have been battling ISIS remnants for months. According to a military statement, the suspect was armed with an AK-47 and apprehended alone while collecting water from a well.

Puntland’s Third Brigade, which carried out the arrest, described the man as a fugitive from earlier counterterrorism raids that dismantled ISIS hideouts in the Cal Miskaad mountains. Authorities did not release his name but claimed he holds Turkish nationality and has provided intelligence during preliminary interrogations.

“The suspect was not accompanied by any group at the time of his arrest,” the statement said. “He fled during recent operations that significantly weakened ISIS in the area.”

The raids, supported by U.S. drones and UAE airpower, reportedly killed at least 15 suspected militants and destroyed several fortified ISIS positions near Cadayle and Sadow. Puntland officials have hailed the joint campaign as a significant blow to the extremist group’s presence in northeastern Somalia.

Puntland claim disputed

Umut Çağrı Sarı, a Turkish political analyst and frequent commentator on Horn of Africa affairs, strongly rejected Puntland’s assertion, calling it “clumsy propaganda” designed to manipulate public opinion and tarnish Türkiye’s reputation.

“Some accounts in Puntland are once again trying to manipulate public perception by sharing a random photo of someone whose nationality is unclear, claiming he is Turkish and fighting for ISIS,” Sarı posted on X (formerly Twitter).

“We’ve seen these fabricated narratives before. They always collapse under the weight of facts,” he added.

Sarı emphasized that Türkiye has played a leading role in the global fight against ISIS, particularly through its operations in northern Syria that neutralized thousands of militants and dismantled major strongholds. “Türkiye takes terrorism — including extremism — very seriously, both inside and outside its borders,” he wrote.

In a pointed warning, Sarı said if such accusations continue, he would expose what he described as “the real story behind the dirty ISIS game in Puntland” — alleging connections between ISIS elements and senior regional figures.

He named Abdulqadir Mumin, the Somali-born former UK cleric who leads ISIS in Somalia, and hinted at links reaching as far as Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni. “Facts matter. Türkiye fights terrorism — it doesn’t export it,” Sarı wrote.

“Since you’ve chosen conflict, let the truth about Puntland now come to light,” he added, suggesting that Puntland’s leadership may have deeper entanglements with extremist elements than they publicly admit.

ISIS’s Somali branch emerged in 2015 after splintering from Al-Shabaab and has maintained a foothold in the mountains of Puntland’s Bari region under Abdulqadir Mumin’s leadership. Though relatively small, the group has remained active through targeted killings, recruitment, and extortion.

Puntland has led efforts to dismantle the group with support from U.S. and UAE partners. Air and ground campaigns have repeatedly targeted its strongholds, most recently near Cadayle and Baalade.

However, the dispute over the arrested militant’s nationality threatens to overshadow those security gains, introducing a new layer of geopolitical tension between local Somali authorities and Turkish-affiliated voices who view such claims as politically motivated.