In Somalia's remote al-Miskad mountains, a group of soldiers huddles around a small hand-held screen, tracking Islamic State group fighters on a drone feed.
A figure appears in the picture, moving through a valley. He has been to fetch water for his friends, says the drone operator. He is running and carrying something on his back, adds another soldier.
The man on the screen is near a cave, which the army believes is a hideout for 50 to 60 IS fighters.
The Puntland Defence Forces have about 500 soldiers stationed at this base in the north-east of Somalia. Ten years ago the barren and inhospitable landscape was home to only a few nomadic communities, but that changed when IS established a foothold here, shifting its focus to Africa as its fighters were driven out of their strongholds in Syria and Iraq.
By April 2025, Gen Michael Langley, who was then the commander of United States Africa Command (Africom), told the US Congress that ISIS controls their global network from Somalia.
In recent years, the US has supported Somalia's fight against IS, repeatedly bombing insurgents hiding in Somali caves – in 2025 the Pentagon carried out 60 attacks on IS-Somalia.
Currently, IS's operational capacity in Somalia has diminished, posing less of a local threat, yet experts warn it continues to play a significant role in providing resources and support to affiliates globally.
Despite setbacks, ISIS maintains a presence in Somalia, having infiltrated communities and imposed a harsh regime characterized by brutality. Local residents recount the fear instigated by the group, with many people missing or killed under its rule.
Puntland's military efforts, backed by US drone strikes, have made progress in pushing IS out of strategic locations, asserting that their resolve will not wane until all fighters are eradicated.
As soldiers continue their operations in the harsh mountainous terrain, they remain steadfast; local officers declare their commitment to reclaim their land, despite the enduring challenges posed by the militant group.
