Battle of Bandiradley

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Battle of Bandiradley
Part of the War in Somalia (2006–present)
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Date December 23, 2006 – December 25, 2006 Location Bandiradley, Somalia Result Ethiopian/Puntland/Galmudug Victory
Combatants
Islamic Courts Union	Ethiopia Puntland Galmudug
Commanders
Mohamed Mohamud Agaweine[1]	Puntland: Gen. Adde Musa Abdulrahman Said Dhegaweyne Galmudug: Col. Abdi Qeybdid
Strength
N/A	500+
Casualties
N/A	1 helicopter gunship

War in Somalia (2006–present)
Baidoa – Bandiradley – Beledweyne – Jowhar – Mogadishu (fall) – Jilib – Kismayo – Ras Kamboni – Mogadishu (battle) Chronology: 2006 2007

The Battle of Bandiradley in Somalia began on December 23, 2006, when Ethiopian and Puntland forces, along with a Somali militia representing the nascent semi-autonomous state of Galmudug under Abdi Qeybdid, attacked the forces of the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) defending Bandiradley. The fighting pushed the Islamists out of Bandiradley and over the border south into Adado district, Galgadud region, by December 25.

Contents 1 Background 1.1 Somali Civil War 1.2 Prior Ethiopian interventions in the area 2 Prelude to battle 3 The battle 4 Aftermath 5 References

[edit] Background

[edit] Somali Civil War

Main article: Somali Civil War (2006)

The battle has roots in the long-standing Somali Civil War. The areas of Galgadud and Mudug were drawn into the conflict arising between the state of Puntland, and the areas coming under the control of the Islamic Courts Union. While local leaders tried to organize into the autonomous state of Galmudug, over time it was forced to side with Puntland, and moreso, with the forces of Ethiopia, to repel the ICU.

[edit] Prior Ethiopian interventions in the area

Main article: War in Somalia (2006–present)

The borders of Galgadud and Mudug regions were under dispute with Ethiopia following the August 1982 border clashes. The towns of Ballanballe and Goldogub had been under Ethiopian occupation from that time up until June 1988 when all troops were to pull back 9 miles from the disputed borders, and Ethiopia granted back the towns to Somalia.^[2]

On March 7-8 1999, Ethiopia claimed it had made a cross-border incursion into Ballanballe searching for members of Al-Itihaad al-Islamiya (AIAI) who had reportedly kidnapped a person and stolen medical supplies, and denied reports of looting. Allegations from that time also claim Ethiopia was the supplier of various Somali warlords, while Eritrea was arming other warlords.^[3][4]

[edit] Prelude to battle

On August 14, local tribal leaders opposed to the advance of the ICU, as well as wishing autonomy from the state of Puntland, organized the state of Galmudug and put its forces under the command of Abdi Qeybdid. ^[5]

On November 12, the ICU took the town of Bandiradley after a firefight with the forces of Abdi Qeybdid.^[6]

On November 13, the President of Puntland, General Adde Musa personally led 50 battlewagons to Galkayo to confront the Islamists.^[7]

On November 22, Ethiopia imposed a curfew on the town of Ballanballe and was searching residents entering or leaving the village in response to attacks on Ethiopian convoys in Somalia^[8]

On November 26, thousands of ICU troops were reported deploying in Abudwaq, within 15km (9 miles) of the Ethiopian border.^[1] On November 27, troops were forcibly returning people who had fled to avoid fighting to their homes, reassuring them they would not come to harm.^[9]

On November 28, Ethiopian forces in the Galkayo, Mudug area were estimated to be about 500-strong, with over 100 vehicles including tanks. There was an exchange of gunfire and missiles. Afterwards, the ICU held a rally in Bandiradley, at which ICU commander Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed accused the Ethiopians of firing 12 missiles at Islamist positions.^[10]

On December 1, in Galkayo, it was reported 9 clerics of the Islamic Tabliq sect had been arrested under the orders of Colonel Abdi Qeybdiid.^[11]

On December 7 - 8, 2006 the militia of warlord Abdi Qeybdid took part in skirmishes against forces of the ICU near the small settlement of Sadah Higle between Bandiradley and Galkayo.^[12] This rapidly led to an exchange of shelling between Ethiopian and ICU troops. Hundreds of Ethiopian troops accompanied by forces from Puntland took up position near the town. Puntland forces claimed they had been provoked by rocket and mortar fire. ICU forces stated Ethiopian troops "started firing missiles toward our positions." At least one ICU fighter was claimed killed in the exchange.^[13][14]

On December 16, it was reported a local Islamic court named Imamu Shahfici was set up in Abudwaq. It urged Islamists to resist the Ethiopians^[15]

Further combat was kept in abeyance until the general outbreak of hostilities on December 20.

On December 19, 18 technicals and a large number of Ethiopian troops entered Ballanballe, Galgadud province, to reinforce troops already positioned in the town.^[16] Just prior to the battle, on December 22, Ethiopian troops departed Ballanballe where they had been in occupation for the past three months. This was reportedly done at the urging of the tribal elders, who did not wish fighting to break out between the ICU and Ethiopia in their town.^[17]

[edit] The battle

On December 22, 2006 Ethiopian troops were said to be amassing in Galkayo for what might turn into a second front of the war near Puntland.^[18]

On December 23, 2006, 500 Ethiopian troops and 8 tanks were reported to be heading towards Bandiradley^[19]

On December 24, Ethiopian planes struck Bandiradley. According to one witness: "We see planes striking us and heavy fighting on the ground intensifying." Both sides exchanged heavy artillery and mortar shells.

On December 25, the Islamic Courts Union claimed its fighters gunned down one Ethiopian helicopter gunship. “Our fighters have shot down an Ethiopian helicopter yesterday killing number of enemy soldiers,” Sheik Abdiqani Qorane, an Islamist official said. “We are still resisting against the invaders.” ^[20]

Yet Islamist fighters retreated from their positions. They were pursued south to the area between Galinsor and Bandiradley, where the Islamists were defeated.^[21] The ICU forces were further pursued to Adado in Galgadud, which they abandoned late on December 25, 2006.

[edit] Aftermath

The ICU abandoned the towns of Dhuusamareb^[22] and Abudwaq without fighting. In the wake of their withdrawal from Abudwaq, militias set up checkpoints and began firing their weapons.^[23]

v • d • e  War in Somalia (2006–present)
Background	Events	Key players
Military: Ethiopian-Somali conflict Somali Civil War (2006 period) Factions in the Somali Civil War Political: Greater Somalia Diplomatic and humanitarian efforts in the Somali Civil War Propaganda in the War in Somalia Disarmament in Somalia 2007 Somali National Reconciliation Conference	Timeline: 2006 Battle of Baidoa Battle of Bandiradley Battle of Beledweyne Ethiopian airstrikes Battle of Jowhar Fall of Mogadishu Battle of Jilib Timeline: 2007 Fall of Kismayo Battle of Ras Kamboni US airstrikes Islamist insurgency beginning Battle of Mogadishu (2007)	Ethiopia Meles Zenawi Islamic Courts Union Hassan Aweys Sharif Ahmed Transitional Federal Parliament Ali Mohammed Ghedi Puntland Mohamud Muse Hersi Galmudug Abdi Qeybdid  United States AMISOM

[edit] References