In a major security breakthrough, Puntland Defense Forces have intercepted a ship carrying a large cache of illegal weapons off the coast of Caluula, in the Bari region. Among the seized cargo were armored military vehicles clearly bearing the Turkish flag, including a tactical unit equipped with a multi-barrel turret system.
Photographic and footage evidence from the scene confirms that the shipment included advanced Turkish-made military equipment, strongly suggesting that the vessel originated from Turkey. Additional armored vehicles and military hardware were also visible onboard, pointing to a broader arms delivery intended for non-state actors operating inside Somalia.
According to Puntland security officials, the seizure was based on intelligence tracking an international arms smuggling network, believed to be supplying extremist groups, particularly ISIS-Somalia (Daesh) โ a group entrenched in the Cal Miskaat Mountains of eastern Puntland.
Pattern of Foreign Interference: Turkey and Qatar Implicated
This is not an isolated incident, but part of a widening pattern of foreign interference in Somaliaโs security affairs.
โพ๏ธOn June 15, 2025, Puntland Counter-Terrorism Forces operating in Cal Miskaat captured a senior ISIS-Somalia commander of Turkish nationality, identified as Hassan Atar. He was apprehended while fleeing during ongoing military operations. This marks a rare and direct link between Turkish nationals and ISIS leadership in Somalia.
โพ๏ธ In 2019, a bombing in Bosaso targeting a Puntland official was explicitly linked to Qatar in a leaked phone call published by The New York Times. A Qatari businessman claimed the attack was intended โto advance Qatarโs interestsโ by undermining the UAEโs strategic presence in Puntland.
โพ๏ธ In early 2025, PMPF intercepted multiple arms shipments traced back to Turkey, believed to be destined for ISIS militants in Puntland.
โพ๏ธ Media platforms affiliated with Turkey and Qatar continue to push propaganda campaigns aimed at discrediting Puntlandโs counterterrorism efforts, while consistently downplaying or ignoring the presence of ISIS and Al-Qaeda affiliates in Somalia.
Puntlandโs Response and Strategic Partnerships
Puntland remains committed to its frontline role in the global fight against terrorism, leading aggressive military operations in the Cal Miskaat mountain range, intercepting foreign weapons shipments, and arresting key terrorist operatives.
The government has reaffirmed that only the United Arab Emirates and the United States have provided consistent and principled support to Puntlandโs counterterrorism mission.
โThis is not just smuggling โ itโs an organized, foreign-backed campaign to destabilize Somalia and empower terrorist groups,โ a Puntland official stated. โThe capture of a Turkish national leading ISIS units in our territory is undeniable evidence.โ
Authorities are continuing a full investigation into the networks behind the weapons ship, the intended recipients, and the broader logistics chain โ with growing calls for international accountability against state-linked actors funding or enabling terrorism.
Conclusion
From seized Turkish military vehicles to the capture of a Turkish national leading ISIS operations, the evidence is overwhelming: Puntland is under a foreign-backed campaign of destabilization, with Qatar and Turkey repeatedly implicated.
As Puntland protects Somaliaโs sovereignty and regional stability, the world must step up โ to support those confronting terrorism, and to expose those enabling it.