| Battle of Wisil | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Somali Civil War (2009–present) | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Galmudug Derwishes |  Al-Shabaab | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 17 killed | 41 killed | ||||||
| 13 civilians and militiamen killed 30+ injured Thousands of civilians displaced | |||||||
On June 27, 2021, militants from al-Shabaab attacked Somali soldiers and civilian militiamen at a military base in Wisil, Mudug, Somalia. At least 17 soldiers and 13 civilians were killed in the attack, along with dozens of al-Shabaab fighters.
Al-Shabaab is a jihadist militant group that has been fighting the Somali government since 2009. [1] On June 26, a day before the attack in Wisil, al-Shabaab militants detonated a bomb in the Shibis district of Mogadishu, killing eleven civilians. [2]
The al-Shabaab militants attacked the Somali base in Wisil with two suicide car bombs. [1] [2] In a statement on Radio Al Andalus, the al-Shabaab media apparatus, the group stated that the VBIED was driven by a fighter named Sagaar Mad Hurow, nom de guerre Abdullahi Jeri, from Rabdhure District. [3] A Somali government spokesman stated that the goal of the jihadists was to assault and overrun the Somali base and capture the town of Wisil in the process. [3] After the suicide bombings, al-Shabaab fighters assaulted the base. [1] Pro-government civilian militias in the town came to the Somali soldiers' defenses, mitigating al-Shabaab fighters' attempts to overrun the base. [1] [3] A survivor of the battle stated that many civilians hid as the fighting erupted, and that the suicide bombings had damaged military vehicles. [1]
Al-Shabaab claimed that they had captured the base and controlled the area for four hours before Somali reinforcements recaptured the area. [4] Somali forces in Galmudug stated that the jihadists were never able to capture the area, and were repulsed. [5]
Somali government forces stated that 17 soldiers and 13 civilians were killed in the attack, along with at least 41 al-Shabaab fighters. [6] [1] A survivor in Wisil during the attack said that he had seen at least 30 people injured, and Somali officials later stated that all injured personnel and civilians were flown to Mogadishu for treatment. [1] Al-Shabaab claimed to have killed 34 Somali soldiers and militiamen. [4] Thousands of civilians were displaced from Wisil and surrounding towns during and after the attack. [7] [8]
Following the attack, Somali Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble and Galmudug President Qoor-Qoor visited Wisil on June 28. [9] Roble and Qoor-Qoor both stated that airstrikes and counter-offensives against al-Shabaab would begin in the region. [9]
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.
Ahlu Sunna Waljama'a (ASWJ) is a Somalia-based paramilitary group consisting of moderate Sufis opposed to radical Salafism. The group opposes extremist interpretations of Islam, as well as laws banning music and khat. The group seeks to protect religious shrines from demolition.
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 2015 timeline of events in the Somali Civil War (2009–present).
This article contains a timeline of events for the Somalimilitant group al-Shabaab.
The Islamic State – Somalia Province or Abnaa ul-Calipha is an Islamic State–affiliated group that primarily operates in the mountainous areas of Puntland, and which has also claimed responsibility for several terrorist attacks throughout the rest of Somalia. The group first appeared in the latter half of 2015 when pro-Islamic State fighters within Al-Shabaab defected and pledged allegiance to ISIS caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Led by Sheikh Abdul Qadir Mumin, the group has an estimated 500-700 fighters.
This is a 2016 timeline of events in the Somali Civil War (2009–present).
Since the early 2000s, the United States has provided military support to the Transitional Federal Government and the Federal Government of Somalia in conflicts. U.S. military actions in Somalia date back to the 1990s; however, following the September 11th attacks, military action was justified as counterterrorism. The Obama and Trump administrations conducted drone and fighter aircraft strikes, advisory missions, and training; provided intelligence; and attacked al-Shabaab militants. Two U.S. special operations personnel, two contractors, one US Army soldier, and a CIA paramilitary officer have died during operations in Somalia.
This is a 2018 timeline of events in the Somali Civil War (2009–present).
Events in the year 2023 in 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.
This is a 2023 timeline of events in the Somali Civil War (2009–present).
On January 6, 2023, al-Shabaab militants attacked the town of Hilowle Gaab, which had recently been recaptured by Somali forces. Over 20 people were killed in the attack, including several Somali commanders.
This is a 2024 timeline of events in the Somali Civil War (2009–present).
On September 3 and 5, 2020, al-Shabaab militants attacked the village of Shabeelow in Galmudug, Somalia, sparking clashes with villagers who took up arms in self-defense.
On June 8, 2024, Al-Shabaab militants attacked four military bases and overran the town of El Dher for several hours, killing many soldiers of the Somali National Force. The militants were eventually defeated by a U.S.-assisted airstrike. This was the deadliest terrorist attack since the Aws Wayne debacle.
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.
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