Battle of Bal'ad
| Battle of Bal'ad | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Somali Civil War (2009–present) | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Somalia |
 al-Shabaab | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 12 killed (per al-Shabaab) | 19 killed (per Somalia) | ||||||
On October 7, 2022, Somali Army troops repulsed an Al-Shabaab attack on a military base near Balad, Somalia. In the skirmish, nineteen al-Shabaab members were reportedly killed.
Prelude
Since a functioning government formed in 2009, Somalia has been grappling with a wave of jihadist unrest fueled by terror group Al-Shabaab. In the past, al-Shabaab controlled vast swaths of the Somali desert and launched dozens of bombings and attacks on cities like Kismayo and Mogadishu.[1] In 2022, a massive crackdown on financial and military assets of al-Shabaab by Somali president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud crippled the militant group, and several offensives in Hirshabelle State and Galmudug liberated several towns and hundreds of villages from the group.[2] The town of Bal'ad, in Hirshabelle state, has faced the brunt of several battles, numerous attacks, and dozens of assassinations being on the frontline of the Somali Civil War.[3] In September 2022, the police chief of Mogadishu was killed along with several other officers after he stepped out of his vehicle onto a landmine in Bal'ad.[4]
Battle
On the morning of October 7, an unknown number of al-Shabaab militants stormed a Somali Army base in Bal'ad.[5] Abdikamil Maalim Shukri, a spokesman in the Somali Ministry of Internal Security, claimed that the soldiers at the base in the suburb of Muryale near Bal'ad knew about the attack before it happened, and were able to be on patrol and defend the base effectively.[6] In the attack, al-Shabaab launched explosives at the start of the attack.[7] Afterwards, the Somali Army claimed to have killed nineteen al-Shabaab militants.[8] Al-Shabaab, however, claimed twelve SNA soldiers were killed.[9] Civilian reports showed losses on both sides were heavy.[7]
References
- ^ "National Counterterrorism Center | Groups". www.dni.gov. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
- ^ "Somali president says 'defeat' of al-Shabaab militants within sight". Financial Times. 2023-04-05. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
- ^ "Somalia: Update on situation in Balcad, Middle Shabelle region (as of 30 January 2022) - Somalia | ReliefWeb". reliefweb.int. 10 February 2022. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
- ^ "Mogadishu Police Chief Killed in Blast". VOA. 30 September 2022. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
- ^ "Somalia: Somali Troops Kill 19 Militants in Repelled Al-Shabaab Attack". Shabelle Media Network. 2022-10-07. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
- ^ Gazette, Famagusta. "Somali forces kill 19 al-Shabab fighters in foiled attack – Famagusta Gazette". Retrieved 2023-04-06.
- ^ a b Maxamed, Jamaal (2022-10-07). "Wararkii ugu dambeeyey qaraxyo iyo dagaal culus oo ka dhacay degaanka BASRA". Retrieved 2023-04-06.
- ^ "Gulf of Aden Security Review – October 7, 2022". Critical Threats. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
- ^ "Al Shabaab oo la wareegay deegaan dhaca duleedka Balcad, 12 askari oo la dilay". somalimemo.info. 2022-10-07. Retrieved 2023-04-06.