Puntland Forces Uncover 32 Foreign Passports at ISIS Hideout

GOOBJOOG NEWS | GAROWE: Counterterrorism forces in Puntland have uncovered 32 foreign passports at an ISIS hideout in the Al-Miskad mountains, revealing the group’s extensive transnational network and its ability to recruit fighters from across the globe.

Officials said the passports belonged to individuals from Germany, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Tanzania, Morocco, Kenya, South Africa, Bahrain, and Tunisia—12 of them from Tanzania.

Among those killed in the operation was an Argentinian passport holder, highlighting the far-reaching nature of ISIS recruitment, with militants traveling from as far as 12,000 kilometers away to join the group in Somalia.

Authorities also found passports for three children born in 2019, 2020, and 2022, suggesting that some ISIS members may have relocated with their families.

The discovery comes as Puntland intensifies its crackdown on ISIS and al-Shabaab militants in northeastern Somalia.

Security officials said investigations are underway to trace the origins and movements of those linked to the recovered documents, as Somali authorities continue efforts to dismantle foreign fighter networks fueling extremism in the region.