Battle of Mogadishu (2008)

:For|other battles that occurred in Mogadishu|Battle of MogadishuInfobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Mogadishu (2008)
partof=the War in Somalia
date=April 19 - April 20 2008


caption=
place=Mogadishu, Somalia
result=Indecisive
combatant1=
combatant2=flagcountry|Ethiopia flagicon|Somalia Transitional Federal Government
commander1=
commander2=
strength1=
strength2=
casualties1=10 insurgents killed
casualties2=11 Ethiopian soldiers killed
7 TFG soldiers killed [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_timeline_of_the_War_in_Somalia#April]
casualties3=Civilian casualties:
98 killed (Elman Human Rights Group claim [http://www.hiiraan.com/news2_rss/2008/Apr/somalia_death_toll_nears_100_with_fresh_fighting.aspx Somalia death toll nears 100 with fresh fighting ] ] )
214 killed (Hawiye claim [ [http://www.presstv.ir/Detail.aspx?id=52571&sectionid=351020501 Press TV - 214 killed in fresh Mogadishu violence ] ] )The 2008 Battle of Mogadishu began when Ethiopian soldiers started entering insurgent-held parts of the city which sparked heavy street fighting. Between 126 and 142 people died in the fighting, mostly civilians killed by Ethiopian troops.POV-statement|date=September 2008

Timeline

On April 19, militants ambushed a group of Ethiopian soldiers, who entered an area of Mogadishu on foot, sparking heavy battles. The intense battle spread out across three districts in the northern quarter of the capital Mogadishu, with Ethiopian troops expanding into insurgent strongholds for the first time in weeks. Abdi Rahim Isa Adow, a spokesman for the Islamic insurgents, confirmed that seven militants had been killed but said that "a large number of Ethiopian soldiers" had also been killed. Witness Omar Abdulahi said that among the dead he counted were two old men shot by Ethiopian soldiers inside their homes. Nasteho Moalim said her 7-year-old daughter and three neighbors were killed by tank shells fired by Ethiopian forces that hit their homes. [http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/04/20/africa/19somalia.php Fighting kills 81 in Somalia, rights group says - International Herald Tribune ] ] [ [http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/04/19/somalia/index.html 27 reported killed in Somalia capital - CNN.com ] ] [ [http://www.garoweonline.com/artman2/publish/Somalia_27/20_killed_as_insurgents_ambush_Ethiopia_soldiers_in_Somalia.shtml Garowe Online - Home ] ]

On April 20, Islamist insurgents ambushed a security vehicle in the capital's Madina neighbourhood, killing two soldiers and a shopowner who was caught in the crossfire. [ [http://www.france24.com/en/20080420-mogadishu-clashes-claim-seven-more-lives France 24 | Mogadishu clashes claim seven more lives | France 24 ] ] Later in the day, five Somali soldiers and three insurgents in addition to a number of civilians. [ [http://www.france24.com/en/20080420-somalia-mogadishu-violence-islamist-forces&navi=MONDE France 24 | New violence rocks Mogadishu | France 24 ] ] Two Ethiopian soldiers were confirmed to be among the dead. [ [http://www.garoweonline.com/artman2/publish/Somalia_27/Somalia_Dozens_more_killed_in_second_day_of_Mogadishu_violence.shtml Garowe Online - Home ] ]

On April 21, the Somali capital was largely quiet as residents ventured out onto the streets to collect the bodies of the dead or escape the city. [ [http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/0B73D645-799B-4F97-9AAA-0A66A5093DE8.htm Al Jazeera English - News - Somalis Flee After Mogadishu Battle ] ]

Hidaya Mosque massacre

According to several witnesses, Ethiopian soldiers stormed a mosque and killed several occupants. 11 bodies were later found, some with their throat slit and others shot to death. Of the 11 dead victims, nine were regular congregants at the mosque and reportedly were part of the Tabliiq wing of Sunni Islam. [http://www.garoweonline.com/artman2/publish/Somalia_27/Ethiopia_soldiers_blamed_for_mosque_massacre_in_Somalia.shtml Garowe Online - Home ] ] [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7358198.stm BBC NEWS | Africa | Clerics killed in Somali mosque ] ]

Tabliiq official Shiekh Abdi-kheyr Isse said the Ethiopians had "slaughtered" the clerics. "The first person they [Ethiopian soldiers] killed was Sheikh Said Yahya, the Imam," a witness said, adding that the late Imam opened the mosque door after the soldiers knocked.

Casualties

98 civilians died in the fighting. Most of the casualties were caused by Ethiopians using heavy artillery and tank shells in residential areas of the war-torn capital, according to the Elman Human Rights Group.

A spokesman for the Islamic Courts Union, Sheikh Ibrahim Suley, said the real death toll from the violence was much higher. "The Ethiopians killed around 200 people and kidnapped 160 others including 41 Koranic students...We will continue fighting the Ethiopians and those under the protection of their tanks. We call on them to repent," Suley told Reuters.

References