Battle of Beledweyne (2008)

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Beledweyne (2008)
partof=the War and Insurgency in Somalia
date=July 1 2008–


caption=
place=Beledweyne, Somalia
result=Ongoing
combatant1=
combatant2=flagcountry|Ethiopia
commander1=
commander2=
strength1=
strength2=
casualties1=39 killed (Media report) [http://www.mareeg.com/fidsan.php?sid=6617&tirsan=3 Somalia: Battle in central region kills 35 Islamists, 47 Ethiopian soldiers-witnes ] ] [http://www.garoweonline.com/artman2/publish/Somalia_27/Death_toll_from_two_days_of_fighting_in_central_Somalia_hits_28.shtml Garowe Online - Home ] ]
71 killed (Ethiopian claim) [ [http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-07-04-voa31.cfm VOA News - Ethiopia Says Troops Killed 71 Islamists in Somalia ] ]
casualties2=55 killed [http://www.garoweonline.com/artman2/publish/Somalia_27/13_killed_in_central_Somalia_battles.shtml] [http://www.shabelle.net/News/ViewNews.asp?NewsID=1083]
casualties3=34 civilians killed [http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2008/07/200871144425617195.html Al Jazeera English - Africa - Dozens dead in Somalia clashes ] ] [http://www.garoweonline.com/artman2/publish/Somalia_27/13_killed_in_central_Somalia_battles.shtml] [http://www.shabelle.net/News/ViewNews.asp?NewsID=1083]

The July 2008 Battle of Beledweyne began on July 1 2008 when Islamic militants from the Somali Islamic Courts attacked the town of Beledweyne which was defended by a garison of Ethiopian troops.

Background

At the beginning of June 2008 Islamist forces started taking whole districts across central parts of Somalia. In the Bay region, northwest of Mogadishu, Al Shabaab insurgents entered the district of Qansah-Dheere on June 7 2008, and took control without facing any resistance. Residents said there were no government troops present when the insurgents arrived.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_timeline_of_the_War_in_Somalia#June]

On June 23 2008, Islamist forces captured Bardale, entirely encircling Baidoa and cutting off the highway to Dolo. The next day Islamist forces establish control of Bardhere unopposed, signaling a definitive shift of Marehan clan affiliation solidly into the Islamist column. After that, on June 28 2008, Islamist forces peacefully retook the strategic city of Beledweyne after the Ethiopian garrison withdraws from the area. Some looting of government facilities occurred, but Islamist commanders called on locals to return stolen property and uphold the peace. Some heavy fighting however did occure at the town of Guguriel, which is where the Ethiopians had withdrawn to after vacating Beledweyne.

The Battle

The fighting started July 1 2008, when Somali opposition fighters ambushed an Ethiopian army convoy travelling from Guguriel in retreat toward the Ethiopian border. The fighting in the Mataban locality left 47 Ethiopian soldiers and 35 Islamist fighters dead. Three Ethiopian military vehicles were destroyed and two captured by the insurgents. 11 of the dead Ethiopians were senior and junior officers. It was a mayor victory by the insurgents over the Ethiopian army. Ethiopian troops withdrew to Ferfer across the border. As for the civilian casualties of the Mataban battle it was confirmed that a child was among those killed.

On July 3 2008, Ethiopian troops commenced a counter attack over the border against the insurgents in an attempt to retake Beledweyne. An Ethiopian column supported by tanks and artillery drove southeast from Ferfer and engaged Islamic Courts forces in Elgal in the mountainous northwestern outskirts of Beledweyn. The Ethiopian force pounded Islamist positions heavily with ballistic missiles [ [http://www.mareeg.com/fidsan.php?sid=6631&tirsan=3 somalia:Heavy fighting reported in central Somalia region Hiiraan] ] .Later in the day the Ethiopian force advanced to Jandkundisho, a suburb of Beledweyn, and continued to pound the hills surrounding Beledweyne, before digging into defensive positions outside Beledweyn. [ [http://www.hiiraan.com/news2/2008/July/ethiopian_troops_at_the_outskirts_of_beled_weyne.aspx Ethiopian Troops at the Outskirts of Beled Weyne] ]

The battle resumed on July 5 2008 when the Islamist and Ethiopian forces clashed in Bur-Gabo, a village between Ferfer and Beledweyn. Sheikh Abdirahim Isse declared the Islamist forces to be victorious, having destroyed 4 Ethiopian military vehicles and "huge losses" of Ethiopian soldiers. [ [http://www.mareeg.com/fidsan.php?sid=6657&tirsan=3 somalia-Islamists burn four Ethiopian troop’s army vehicles in central Somalia] ]

On July 6 2008, the residents of Beledweyn fled the town as the Ethiopian Army began building up their forces in Jandkundisho, conceivably in preparations for an attack on Beledweyn itself. [ [http://www.mareeg.com/fidsan.php?sid=6669&tirsan=3 Somalia: Residents flee central Somalia town For conflicts semblance] ]

On July 24 2008, Ethiopian troops finaly attacked the town. Seven civilians were killed and 12 others were wounded after artillery shells and bullets hit residential areas in Beledweyne as the troops moved in. Another seven civilians were shot dead near a bridge in the town by Ethiopian troops, who were returning fire after being attacked. Two more civilians were killed later in the day by shelling. By late that night most of the city had fallen into Ethiopian hands. However the Islamists were regrouping for a counter-attack. 16 civilians were dead by the end of the first day. [ [http://www.garoweonline.com/artman2/publish/Somalia_27/Somalia_insurgents_resist_Ethiopia_army_s_push_into_key_town.shtml Garowe Online - Home ] ] [ [http://www.mareeg.com/fidsan.php?sid=7014&tirsan=3 Somalia-7 die in central Somalia’s heavy shelling-witnesses ] ] [ [http://www.mareeg.com/fidsan.php?sid=7031&tirsan=3&PHPSESSID=925c9b9c9efae17d339d51acf034dcad Somalia: Central Somali town calm following heavy fighting on 24 July ] ]

The next morning on July 25 2008, fighting was still raging, as Islamist rebels sought to push out Ethiopian troops. At least 12 people were killed, including three civilians who died when an artillery shell hit their home on the western side of Beledweyne. Among the dead were at least three Ethiopian soldiers and four insurgents. This brought the toll in two days of fighting to 28 dead. The street battles finally died down by the end of the day with Ethiopian troops in control of the town.

The subsequent day saw Islamic Court Militants launch a massed counter attack against Ethiopian positions in Beledweyne. Utilizing artillery support the UIC succeeded in recapturing a key bridge in the central part of the town. During this renewed fighting much of the Beledweyne civilian population fled from their homes. [ [http://www.hiiraan.com/news2/2008/July/somalis_flee_town_amid_fighting.aspx Somalis flee town amid fighting ] ]

There was a lull in the fighting for the next three weeks until August 16 2008, when insurgents attacked Ethiopian Army positions in the city which led to fighting that killed four Ethiopian soldiers and nine civilians. [http://www.garoweonline.com/artman2/publish/Somalia_27/13_killed_in_central_Somalia_battles.shtml]

On September 11 2008, renewed fighting in the city killed one more Ethiopian soldier and three civilians. [http://www.shabelle.net/News/ViewNews.asp?NewsID=1083]

References