Somalia, 20 September 2025 – A senior U.S. delegation visited Puntland on Saturday to hold high-level security talks with President Said Abdullahi Deni in Bosaso.
The discussions focused on counterterrorism cooperation, maritime security, and regional stability.
The delegation, led by U.S. Ambassador to Somalia Richard Riley and Major General Claude K. Tudor Jr., commander of U.S. Special Operations Command Africa, praised Puntland’s role in combating ISIS and securing maritime routes.
They also reviewed the progress of Puntland’s ongoing military operations, including Operation Hillaac in the Calmiskaad mountains.
The visit came only days after a controversial U.S. airstrike in the Sanaag region.
AFRICOM confirmed that it carried out the strike on September 13 in Badhan District, claiming it killed an al-Shabaab weapons dealer.
However, local elders and family members strongly disputed this account, identifying the victim as Omar Abdullahi Abdi Ibrahim, an elder from Warsangeli clan, insisting he had no ties to al-Shabaab.