In Bosaso, the thunderous roar of heavy aircraft striking the tarmac echoes across the port city in Somalia’s Puntland day and night.
Such flights have been a common occurrence over the past two years. Recent arrivals to Bosaso’s airbase, however, have become significantly more frequent and accelerated.
And now, they focus exclusively on the evacuation of UAE security personnel and heavy military equipment.
According to flight-tracking data and two eyewitnesses, an average of six IL-76 cargo aircraft have arrived and departed Bosaso per day over recent days - a development one observer described as resembling a hurried evacuation.
“Unlike previous operations, where incoming cargo would be immediately transferred to another aircraft on standby, these planes have been arriving over several days, loaded with heavy military equipment, and departed without delay,” a source at Bosaso airbase told Middle East Eye, adding that the activity was highly unusual.
