Bosaso – Puntland’s security forces have issued an urgent warning to ISIS militants surrounded in the Baladi Valley, giving them 72 hours to surrender.

The command assured the fighters that if they lay down their arms, their human rights would be respected and they would be returned to their families and home regions. However, it warned of dire consequences if they refuse to comply, stressing that there would be no escape from the tightening military siege.

Officials described the current blockade as the militants’ last chance for survival, noting that the intensified operations form part of a broader strategy to combat extremist groups in the region.

Puntland has been conducting a military campaign against ISIS fighters hiding in the mountainous areas of Bari region since December. Authorities say the battles have reached their final stages and expressed hope that the insurgency will be decisively defeated soon.