Good video reporting from frontlines of still-ongoing #Puntland vs. #ISIS war in northern #Somalia by @bastien_rnl, @willswanson, and @ARTEfr for @France24_en. Seemingly shot last Nov - reporters visited ISIS-Somalia's former "so-called capital", Sheebaab village in Almiskat Mts.

https://www.france24.com/en/somalia-islamic-state-group-new-front-line-africa

#geography #geopolitics #HornOfAfrica #journalism #armedconflict #ISIL #war #GulfOfAden #security #worldnews #Africa @geography @geopolitics @internationalrelations

Reporters - Somalia, the Islamic State group's new front line in Africa

Jihadists from the Islamic State (IS) group have established a stronghold in Somalia’s Puntland region, operating largely undisturbed across a vast mountainous area after setbacks in Iraq and Syria and using it as a base for wider operations in Africa and beyond. Local authorities have launched a major offensive, driving fighters from villages into cave positions amid ongoing clashes and mounting casualties, in a campaign officials say is crucial to restoring stability in Somalia and countering a broader global security threat. A report by Bastien Renouil, Will Swanson and ARTE. 

FRANCE 24

In report's aerial shots, Sheebaab village is recognizable from satellite imagery, despite video's subtitles transcribing it incorrectly as "Sheebaad".

#geolocation #OSINT #Somalia #Puntland @geography @geopolitics @internationalrelations

Notice the #Puntland soldiers wearing prominent #Somalia flag patches. Despite not recognizing the federal govt in Mogadishu, Puntland still considers itself proudly part of Somalia. Last year we debunked misconceptions that it had declared #independence: https://www.polgeonow.com/2025/06/puntland-independence-declaration-somalia.html

@geography @geopolitics @internationalrelations

Somalia Supplement: Did Puntland Declare Independence?

Puntland state may act like an independent country, but claims that it declared independence in 2024 are misleading.