| September 2022 Hiran bombing | |
|---|---|
| Part of Somali Civil War (2009-present) | |
| Location | near Beledweyne, Hiran Region, Somalia |
| Date | September 3, 2022 |
| Deaths | 21 |
| Perpetrator |  al-Shabaab |
On September 3, 2022, militants from al-Shabaab ambushed a civilian bus traveling from Beledweyne to Mahas, in Hiran, Somalia. Over twenty civilians were killed, and the bombing occurred in the middle of the 2022 Hiraan offensive by the Somali military against al-Shabaab. [1]
The city of Beledweyne, in central Somalia's Hiraan region, has been at the forefront of the civil war between the Somali government and the jihadist group al-Shabaab. [2] In July 2022, the Somali government launched an offensive against al-Shabaab-controlled areas in Hiraan region, with the aid of the local Ma'awisley militia. [3] [1] In response, elements of al-Shabaab fled across the Somali border into Ethiopia, sparking a second conflict. Al-Shabaab's counter to the offensive, per their modus operandi, was using IEDs and other bomb attacks against the Somali army and civilians. [4]
Around midnight on September 3, seven vehicles transporting aid and civilians from Beledweyne to Mahas were traveling along the road when the initial seven vehicles were ambushed by al-Shabaab fighters, shooting into the bus. [1] [5] Two vehicles behind the convoy went to rescue survivors, but were hit by an IED while attempting to reach them. [5] Locals and survivors recounted that many of the dead civilians were shot, and the civilian and food aid buses were burned by the al-Shabaab fighters afterward. [1] [6] The initial ambush killed eighteen civilians, with the subsequent bombing killing three aid workers. [5] [1]
Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack, claiming to have ambushed a Ma'awisley supply convoy. [5]
Somali president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud stated that the government "strongly condemns the despicable acts of murder against innocent civilians." [6] Ali Gudlawe, president of Hirshabelle State, expressed his condolences as well. [6]
Twenty-one people were killed in the attack. [7] In response to the attack, a localized offensive in the Hiran region by the Somali government recaptured over twenty villages. [8] The operation killed 100 al-Shabaab fighters, and captured 20 alive, according to the Somali government. [8] A secondary attack in the village of Buq Abable killed 18 militants, according to the government. [9]
Hiran is an administrative region (gobol) in central Somalia and part of the Hirshabelle State.
The 2009 timeline of events in the Somalia War (2006–2009) during January 2009 is set out below. From the beginning of February the timeline of events in the Somali Civil War (2009–present) is set out following the conclusion of the previous phase of the civil war.
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 conflict mainly between the forces of the Federal Government of Somalia assisted by African Union peacekeeping troops and al-Qaeda aligned al-Shabaab militants.
A series of battles in Hiraan, Shabeellaha Dhexe and Galgudug, between rebels of al-Shabaab and Hizbul Islam and Somali government forces and ICU militants loyal to the government, erupted during spring 2009. The fighting led to al-Shabaab capturing major government strongholds and Ethiopian forces re-entering Somalia and setting up bases in Hiraan. There was a halt in fighting during a government offensive in Mogadishu, which started on May 22.
This is a 2011 timeline of events in the Somali Civil War (2009–present).
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).
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This is a 2015 timeline of events in the Somali Civil War (2009–present).
This article contains a timeline of events for the Somali jihadist group al-Shabaab.
This is a 2013 timeline of events in the Somali Civil War (2009–present).
This is a 2010 timeline of events in the Somali Civil War (2009–present).
This is a 2016 timeline of events in the Somali Civil War (2009–present).
Beginning in the late 2000s, the Federal Government of the United States has supported the Federal Government of Somalia in counterterrorism after the September 11th attacks. The Obama administration and the Trump administration increased their support of the Somali government mostly through strikes by drone and fighter aircraft, advisory missions, training, and the provision of intelligence to target the violent extremists al-Shabaab. 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).
On 3 October 2022 in Beledweyne, Somalia, al-Shabaab used three car bombs to kill at least 20 people.
Events in the year 2023 in Somalia.
This is a 2023 timeline of events in the Somali Civil War (2009–present).
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 31, 2022, al-Shabaab attacked a bus carrying civilians in Mandera County, Kenya, near the border with Somalia. Ten people were killed, and thirteen injured, in the attack.