Wednesday February 1, 2017
Garowe (HOL) - The residents of Karin, a small village 35km outside of Qandala have reported that they found the decapitated bodies of three men on Wednesday.
The victims were believed to have been kidnapped by Pro-ISIS fighters days earlier in the semiautonomous region of Puntland.
Varying sources indicate that ISIS fighters stopped a truck and forcibly removed nine passengers just outside of Qandala town on Saturday. Those abducted included civilians as well as soldiers.
The identities of the victims is still unknown as security forces who spoke with HOL said they are still investigating the beheading. There is also no word on the other hostages who were taken.
Pro-ISIS militants have had a presence in the Qandala region since late October when fighters loyal to al-Baghdadi attacked and briefly occupied the town before being ousted less than 24 hours later.
ISIS militants are battling both security forces in Puntland as well as Al-Shabaab; the rival jihadist insurgency in the region. Al Shabaab, which is aligned with Al-Qaeda is in direct competition for fighters and have publicly said that they are preventing the group from operating in their territory.