The Battle of Somalia

Islamic Courts controlled cities and towns marked in red. Click map to view.

The ICU attacks in Puntland and claims to have advanced to 7 miles from Baidoa, the Ethiopians strike in Beletweyn

The Battle for town Baidoa, the seat of government of the beleaguered Transitional Federal Government of Somalia, and greater Somalia has entered its sixth day. Both the Ethiopian backed TFG and the al Qaeda supported Islamic Courts Union are claiming military victories during the battles on multiple fronts in central Somalia. The fog of war is making it difficult to determine the veracity of these claims.

The ICU claims to have advanced to within 7 miles (12km) of Baidoa. “The Islamic Courts commander in Bur Hakaba, Abdulahi Gedow, has told Shabelle by the phone that ICU forces have gone beyond Daynunay, some 22 km southeast of Baidoa and reached Gasarta quite close to Bai Provincial Township of Baidoa. Shabelle cannot confirm the claim. He also said they have blown up four Ethiopian tanks in the fight that took place in Daynuany.” The TFG, however, claims to be close to retaking Burhakaba, and its forces are within 2 miles of the city.

An American intelligence source informs us the Islamic Courts are using the same tactics that Hezbollah successfully employed against Israeli armor during last summer in the Hezbollah-Israel war in Lebanon. A United Nations report released this fall detailed Iranian and Hezbollah involvement with training the ICU and providing weapons, including anti-aircraft and anti-tank weapons. While this report was dismissed by many analysts, the ICU has successfully employed anti-tank weapons against Ethiopian armored columns in the past, and is currently doing so during fighting around Baidoa.

Fighting has also been reported in Bandiredley in the semi-autonomous state of Puntland. Bandiredley is just several miles from the city of Galcayo. “Islamic Courts Union fighters and pro-government militia backed by Ethiopian troops [exchanged] heavy artillery fires and anti aircraft machineguns mounted with the pick-up trucks,” reports Somalinet. Both sides claim the other initiated the fighting.

On the Ethiopian-Somali border, the Ethiopians appear to be poised to reestablish secure lines of communications to Baidoa. Ethiopian fighter-bombers “hit a strategic road and a recruiting center for the militants,” in Beletweyn, according to an Associated Press source in the town. Shabelle and Somalinet back up the report of airstrikes in Beletweyn. [Updated: Ethiopian has stated it is conducting an air campaign in Somalia.] Beletweyn is a strategic border city that sits astride major roads running north-south and east-west in the Hiran district. An Ethiopian push southwest along the road can isolate the Islamic Courts units currently engaged in Puntland.

The ground attack aircraft in the Ethiopian Air Force consists of Soviet era MiG-23s, Su-22s, Su-25s, as well as Su-27s which can be used in a ground attack role. The Ethiopians also possesses Mi-24 Hind attack helicopters. The Islamic Courts are said to be in possession of anti-aircraft weapons, but there have been no reports of any downed Ethiopian aircraft at this time.

Bill Roggio is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Editor of FDD's Long War Journal.

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4 Comments

  • The Battle of Somalia

    Courtesy of The Fourth Rail:
    The ICU attacks in Puntland and claims to have advanced to 7 miles from Baidoa, the Ethiopians strike in Beletweyn
    The Battle for town Baidoa, the seat of government of the beleaguered Transitional Federal Government of …

  • bill porreca says:

    Hi Billy,
    I just learned that you are back over there and totally involved in reporting what the rest of never hear. I think you are a hero for doing, although I still have a problem with the whole war effort.
    I wish you the best, and certainly a MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY HOLIDAY from the usual humdrum of a 9 to 5. BTW, I’m still on my sabatical also.
    Best wishes, Bill another ex-CA’er 🙂

  • DJ Elliott says:

    Looks like Ethiopia has made it official:
    http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/News/0,,2-11-1447_2048607,00.html
    Ethiopia ‘is at war’
    24/12/2006 21:21 – (SA)
    Witness: Airstrikes hit Somalia
    Ethiopian tanks ‘in Somalia’
    Thousands flee Somali fighting
    Somalia ‘in state of war’
    Addis Ababa – Ethiopia is at war with the Islamists in neighbouring Somalia who want to rule according to the Qur’an, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said on Sunday.
    “Our defene force has been forced to enter a war to defend (against) the attacks from extremists and anti-Ethiopian forces and to protect the sovereignty of the land,” Meles said in a television address.
    This came just after his country had launched fighter jets and artillery against Islamic militants.
    Ethiopia backs Somalia’s fragile government, which has been losing ground to the Islamists for months.

  • Ethiopia Versus the Somalian Islamists:

    Bill Roggio analyzes the Battle of Somalia. The UN-backed Somali government is confident it will beat the Islamists. (IOL)…

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