Boosaaso (Raxanreeb Online) — In the rugged highlands of Dhaasan, within the Cal Miskaad mountain range, a night of fear and fire unfolded as ISIS-affiliated militants launched a coordinated attack on a Puntland military base, officials said Saturday.

The assault, which began with a series of loud explosions, targeted the 2nd Division of Puntland’s elite Darawiish forces. It sparked a battle that lasted several hours, leaving casualties on both sides and rattling nearby communities.

According to military sources, Puntland troops had been anticipating the attack. “We had intelligence beforehand. Our men were in position and ready,” said one officer who spoke to reporters at the scene.

Despite the intensity of the offensive, Puntland commanders say their forces held the line. “The Khawarij, who continue to bring suffering to Somali civilians, tried to overrun our base. But we pushed them back. Their dead are still here. By God’s grace, we defended our ground,” the officer added, standing amid signs of the night’s violence.

Local sources confirmed that militants managed to briefly enter parts of the area during the chaos, but were eventually repelled. The village of Dhaasan lies just miles from Baladhidhin, a key military command post for Puntland, raising concerns about how close the threat came to the heart of operations.