Sanaag , Somalia — September 17, 2026 —Heavy explosions were reported in the Calmadow mountain range in Somalia’s Sanaag region on Wednesday night, according to local residents, but authorities have not confirmed who carried out the reported bombardment, where it occurred or whether anyone was harmed.

Residents in communities near the mountain range said they heard several powerful blasts late on September 16. No official statement had been issued by Puntland authorities, Somalia’s federal government, the U.S. military or other security partners by Wednesday morning.

The reports emerged as residents in Bosaso, the main port city in Puntland’s Bari region, said they heard a helicopter flying over the city during the same night. The operator of the aircraft, its route and purpose were not immediately known.

There was no immediate evidence linking the reported explosions in Sanaag to the helicopter activity in Bosaso. The incidents could not be independently verified, and no casualty figures or damage assessments were available.

Calmadow is a vast and rugged mountain area extending across parts of northern Somalia, where poor road access, limited communications and sparse security deployments often make it difficult to independently confirm military activity.

Local residents said the explosions were unusually loud and were heard from areas close to the mountain range. They did not identify aircraft, armed forces or any militant group involved.

Officials in Sanaag did not immediately provide comment. Puntland security authorities also had not publicly confirmed an operation in the area at the time of publication.

The lack of official information has left open several questions, including whether the explosions were caused by airstrikes, ground fighting, military exercises or another incident. No armed group has issued a statement claiming responsibility.

Bosaso residents separately reported hearing the sound of a helicopter late Tuesday. Aircraft activity over the city can be associated with security, logistical or medical operations, but no authority has publicly identified the aircraft involved in this case.

There were no confirmed reports of deaths, injuries or property damage from the alleged explosions in Calmadow as of Wednesday.

Questions Over Reported U.S. Operations

The reports follow claims that the United States carried out an airstrike in the Calmiskaad Mountains on September 3, targeting suspected Islamic State fighters, and later conducted aerial surveillance over the Calmadow range.

However, U.S. Africa Command, known as AFRICOM, had not publicly confirmed a September 3 strike in either Calmiskaad or Calmadow in its available recent strike announcements at the time of publication.

AFRICOM has repeatedly confirmed operations against Islamic State-Somalia in northeastern Puntland, particularly in the Golis and Calmiskaad mountain areas southeast of Bosaso. The command generally provides only broad locations and does not release detailed information about aircraft, intelligence collection, units or the precise targets of ongoing operations, citing operational security.

Calmiskaad and Calmadow are distinct mountainous areas in northern Somalia. Any official confirmation of an operation would therefore be significant in establishing whether the reported explosions occurred within the area of Puntland’s ongoing campaign against Islamic State militants or elsewhere in Sanaag.

The United States has conducted a large number of airstrikes in Somalia in 2026, according to AFRICOM’s public strike record. Many of the confirmed strikes against Islamic State-Somalia have been recorded in the Golis Mountains near Bosaso, while others have targeted al-Shabaab in southern and central Somalia.

Background to the Security Campaign

Puntland security forces launched a major offensive against Islamic State-Somalia in the Calmiskaad and Golis mountain areas in late 2024 and early 2025. The campaign was aimed at dismantling militant bases, supply routes and hideouts in difficult terrain long used by the group.

In February 2025, Puntland officials said their forces had captured territory and dozens of suspected militant positions during the offensive. Reuters reported at the time that Puntland authorities said at least 85 Islamic State fighters and 17 Puntland soldiers had been killed during fighting, though the figures could not be independently verified.

The campaign was supported by international partners through airstrikes and intelligence assistance. In February 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump announced strikes against Islamic State targets in the Golis Mountains. Puntland officials said at the time that the operation targeted militant bases in the Calmiskaad area.

AFRICOM later said it concluded a two-week operation against Islamic State-Somalia in Puntland in August 2025, involving multiple airstrikes carried out in coordination with Somalia’s federal government. The command did not publicly disclose the number of people killed or the exact sites struck.

AFRICOM’s public records show that U.S. strikes against Islamic State-Somalia continued in the Golis Mountains throughout the first half of 2026. The reported activity reflects the sustained focus on the group’s presence in northeastern Somalia, even as Somali forces and international partners continue separate operations against al-Shabaab in the country’s south.

Islamic State-Somalia is smaller than al-Shabaab but has developed into an important regional branch of the wider Islamic State network. The group is known to operate primarily in Puntland’s mountainous northeast, where the terrain provides concealment and complicates operations by security forces.

Civilian Concerns in Remote Mountain Areas

For residents of northern Somalia, reports of explosions and aircraft movements often fuel concern because information is limited and security operations may take place far from towns and formal communications networks.

Community leaders and local residents frequently call on authorities to provide prompt public information after suspected airstrikes or armed operations, particularly where civilians live or travel near contested mountain routes.

No displacement, road closures or disruption to commercial activity had been publicly reported following Tuesday night’s incident. Bosaso’s port, airport and major transport links were not reported to have been affected.

Puntland authorities, Somalia’s federal government and AFRICOM may clarify whether any military operation occurred in or near Calmadow on Tuesday night.

The distinction between Calmadow in Sanaag and the Calmiskaad and Golis areas near Bosaso is also important. Puntland’s confirmed campaign against Islamic State-Somalia has focused mainly on mountain areas in Bari, and any verified expansion of operations would signal a wider security concern.