Puntland authorities say nearly 700 foreign fighters have been killed in ongoing operations in the Calmiskaad mountains since last year.
Only five Somali nationals lost their lives during the offensive, said Mohamed Abdirahman Dhabancad, presidential political advisor.
In a Sky News interview, Dhabancad displayed passports from more than 20 countries, showing citizens from across the globe who joined ISIS in Somalia.
The foreign fighters came from Europe, North America, Africa, and Asia, highlighting the wide international recruitment of ISIS militants in the Puntland region.
According to Dhabancad, most foreign fighters entered Somalia illegally or posed as refugees, especially those from Ethiopia who subsequently joined ISIS operations locally.
Some fighters also secretly crossed the Yemen coastline using smuggling boats, entering Somalia without any travel documents or official identification from authorities.
Puntland claims about 70% of ISIS fighters in Calmiskaad mountains—mostly foreigners—have been eliminated, marking the largest foreign militant losses in Somali history.
