BOSSASO (SD) – Puntland addressed the arrival and presence of foreign nationals, predominantly Arabs from various countries, who have joined and are fighting alongside the Daesh group.

The Minister of Information for Puntland, Mahmoud Aided Dirir, speaking to the media, explained how Daesh-affiliated foreigners managed to infiltrate the mountains of the Bari region. The minister revealed intelligence information previously unknown to the public. He stated that the Arab members of Daesh disguised themselves as Yemeni refugees fleeing the internal conflict in Yemen when they entered Puntland.

“Most of the Daesh militants entered Puntland using the tactic of posing as refugees. They passed through Yemen and followed the same routes as Yemeni refugees escaping the war in their country. The people and government of Puntland welcomed them, believing they were fellow Sunni Muslims fleeing conflict,” said Minister Mahmoud Aided Dirir.

The Minister of Information for Puntland also mentioned that some of the Arab fighters who joined Daesh posed as tourists, noting that they had previously stayed in Ethiopia before entering Puntland’s territories.