| 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.
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]
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]
Bal'ad District is one of the districts of Middle Shabelle region of Somalia. It is located about 36 kilometers northeast of the capital city of Mogadishu.
The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) was a Multinational force formed by the African Union. The operation deployed to Somalia soon after the Islamic Courts Union was deposed by troops from Ethiopia during a large scale invasion in late 2006. The missions primary objective was to maintain the regime change between the ICU and the newly installed Transitional Federal Government, implement a national security plan and train the TFG security forces. As part of its duties, AMISOM later supported the Federal Government of Somalia in its war against Al-Shabaab. AMISOM was the most deadly peacekeeping operation in the post-war era.
The Somali Civil War (2009–present) is the ongoing phase of the Somali Civil War which is concentrated in southern and central Somalia. It began in late January 2009 with the present conflict mainly between the forces of the Federal Government of Somalia assisted by African Union peacekeeping troops and al-Shabaab militants who pledged alliegence to al-Qaeda during 2012.
The Battle of Mogadishu (2010–11) began on 23 August 2010 when al-Shabaab insurgents began attacking government and African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) positions in the Somali capital of Mogadishu. Al-Shabaab began its offensive after its spokesman said the group was declaring a "massive war" on troops sent by AMISOM, describing its 6,000 peacekeepers as "invaders". In December 2010 the number of AMISOM troops was increased to 8,000 and later to 9,000. The battle's name usually includes the years, when referenced, in order to distinguish it amongst the nine major Battles of Mogadishu during the decades long Somali Civil War.
This is a 2012 timeline of events in the Somali Civil War (2009–present).
This is a 2014 timeline of events in the Somali Civil War (2009–present).
Operation Indian Ocean was a joint military operation between the Somali military, AMISOM and the United States military against the Al-Shabaab militant group aimed at eliminating the remaining insurgent-held areas in southern Somalia. It officially began in August 2014.
This is a 2015 timeline of events in the Somali Civil War (2009–present).
This is a 2016 timeline of events in the Somali Civil War (2009–present).
This is a 2018 timeline of events in the Somali Civil War (2009–present).
On 1 April 2018, Al-Shabaab fighters attacked an AMISOM base in Bulo Marer in the Lower Shebelle region of Somalia.
Events in the year 2021 in Somalia.
Events in the year 2023 in Somalia.
The battle of Runirgod took place between December 12 and December 22, 2022, with Somali forces launching an offensive against al-Shabaab in the Runirgod District of Middle Shabelle, the group's last stronghold in the state.
The battle of Buulo Mareer took place on 26 May 2023, when Al-Shabaab fighters stormed an African Union military camp manned by Ugandan forces in the town of Bulo Marer, Lower Shabelle, Somalia.
On January 17, 2023, al-Shabaab attacked a Somali army base in the town of Hawadley, Hirshabelle State, Somalia. In response, the Somali army launched counter-operations to secure the area.
Events in the year 2024 in Somalia.
This is a 2024 timeline of events in the Somali Civil War (2009–present).
On January 27, 2021, al-Shabaab launched multiple attacks on civilian and military sites across Somalia, killing sixteen people and injuring several more. The deadliest attack was an ambush by al-Shabaab on a Somali and AMISOM convoy in Bal'ad, which killed 14 people.
On April 2, 2021, Al-Shabaab militants simultaneously attacked Somali National Army bases in Awdheegle and Bariire, Lower Shabelle, killing forty-eight soldiers and dozens of al-Shabaab fighters. Somali forces were able to repulse both attacks.