Mogadishu, Somalia — Puntland security forces have seized what officials describe as one of the largest ISIS weapons manufacturing sites in the region, discovering more than 1,700 fully assembled rockets and a trove of explosive materials.
The facility, located near the remote village of Dasaan, was being used to produce weapons, including rockets and drones, for militant operations, according to senior security officials involved in the Thursday’s operation.
The scale of the discovery has raised concerns about the notorious extremist group’s ability to develop and stockpile advanced weaponry despite ongoing counterterrorism efforts aiming to dislodge it from their last 15km stretch of territory still under its control.
“The number of rockets found in this factory is alarming,” said a senior Puntland security official, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press.
“It suggests ISIS was preparing for major attacks or expanding its military capabilities.”
Security forces also recovered and destroyed one of the vehicles believed to have been in the possession of ISIS, along with motorcycles and other military equipment left behind as fighters fled.
Attempts by militants to defend the site using landmines and a drone attack were unsuccessful, officials said.
Intelligence reports leading up to the operation indicated that ISIS had been maintaining a fleet of six vehicles – three military trucks, two civilian cars, and a transport truck. Officials now believe most of them have been destroyed in airstrikes or seized.
The discovery underscores the persistent threat posed by ISIS in Somalia, where the group has established a foothold despite sustained counterterrorism operations.
The Puntland administration has vowed to intensify efforts to disrupt the group’s supply chains and dismantle its remaining networks and pockets.
“This is a significant blow to ISIS,” the security official said.
“But it also shows how much work remains to be done.”
