U.S. Airstrike Targets Al-Shabaab Weapons Depot in Puntland’s Al-Madow Mountains

Garowe (WDN) — The United States has carried out an airstrike targeting an Al-Shabaab weapons and ammunition depot in Puntland’s Al-Madow Mountains, Puntland authorities said Thursday, as counterterrorism operations against militant networks continue in northern Somalia.

In a statement dated 17 September 2026, the Puntland Government said the strike targeted a site known as Markad, in the Golis mountain range, which it described as a storage facility used by Al-Shabaab to stockpile weapons, ammunition and other military supplies.

The operation was conducted in coordination with Puntland government security institutions, according to the statement. “The Puntland Government and the United States Government have confirmed the success of a counterterrorism operation conducted in the Golis Mountains of the Al-Madow area,” the statement said.

Puntland said the targeted facility served as a logistical base supporting Al-Shabaab’s operations and its ability to plan and carry out attacks.

The Al-Madow and wider Golis mountain ranges are strategically significant because their rugged terrain provides armed groups with remote locations that can be difficult for ground forces to access. Puntland security forces have conducted sustained operations in the broader area as part of efforts to prevent extremist groups from establishing permanent footholds.

The latest strike forms part of continuing counterterrorism cooperation between Puntland and the United States. Puntland said the objective is to disrupt Al-Shabaab’s logistical networks, restrict its ability to store and move military supplies, and deny the group locations from which it can organize attacks.

“The targeting of locations and facilities used by the group to support its operations is intended to place pressure on and disrupt its ability to plan and carry out attacks,” the statement said.

Puntland and the United States reaffirmed their commitment to continued efforts aimed at weakening Al-Shabaab and preventing the group from establishing safe locations in northern Somalia.

The Puntland statement did not provide information on casualties, the extent of damage caused by the strike, or whether senior Al-Shabaab figures were present at the targeted facility. Those details could not be independently verified.

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