Islamist insurgency in Somalia (2007–present)

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This article documents a current event.
Information may change rapidly as the event progresses.

Date	January 12, 2007 – ongoing
Location	Southern Somalia (mainly Mogadishu)
Result	Ongoing Conflict Emergence of Islamist insurgency by PRM Re-emergence of inter-clan fighting

Combatants

Islamic Courts Union

Pro-Islamist militias
Popular Resistance Movement (PRM)

Hawiye clan militiamen

Alleged:
Foreign Mujahideen
al-Qaeda

Ethiopia

Transitional Government of Somalia
AMISOM
Puntland

Commanders

Hassan Aweys

Hasan Hersi
Adan Ayrow
Sheikh Abdikadir (PRM)

Barre Adan Shire "Hirale"

Meles Zenawi

Strength

3,000–3,500 militia

10,000 militia
3-5,000 Ethiopian infantry
8,000 AU peacekeepers

Casualties

Unknown

100+ civilians [1]

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

Somali Civil War
Revolution (1986–92) – UN intervention (1992–95) – Attempts at Reconciliation (1991–2004) – Consolidation (1998–2006) – Rise of the ICU (2006) – Ethiopian intervention (2006–present) – Islamist insurgency (2007–present)

The Islamist insurgency in Somalia refers to the armed resistance within southern Somalia by the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) and its successor organization, the Popular Resistance Movement in the Land of the Two Migrations (PRM), after the defeat of the ICU in the 2006–2007 war in Somalia. The insurgency opposes not just the Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and the presence of Ethiopian troops, but also the planned advent of African Union peacekeepers. An estimated 3,000 Islamist gunmen, including foreign jihadists, have gone into hiding.^[1]

As African Union Mission to Somalia peacekeepers began arriving, they also became a target for the insurgents.

[edit] 2007

Main article: 2007 timeline of the War in Somalia

During January 2007, many attacks took place, mostly in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. There has been wide spread violence in Mogadishu as Islamist insurgents began hit and run attacks in the city on the positions of the government forces at night causing human casualties.^[2]

On February 18, 2007 Mogadishu witnessed its first car bomb, with four fatalities.^[3]

On February 20, a series of mortar attacks left 16 dead and 42 wounded. The total wounded in mortar attacks in the capital since the beginning of the insurgency exceeded 90.^[4]^[5]

On March 21, 2007, insurgents attacked troops in Shirkole, Mogadishu. Civilians drag soldiers' bodies through Mogadishu, in the first such fighting since the end of the invasion. At least 22 people were killed including 9 TFG soldiers and one Ethiopian and 65 people are wounded. A truce was found by the end of the day but fighting continued six days later.

On March 22, at least 10 soldiers of Puntland have been killed and 6 others were wounded in an ambush attack that took place in Adado town of Galgadud region in central Somalia. [2]

On March 23, a cargo plane was shot down, killing 11.

On March 27, heavy street battles are renewed in Mogadishu.

On March 29, in heavy fighting at least 15 Ethiopian military personnel have been killed and others more were wounded in Mogadishu.

On March 30, 2007, an Ethiopian helicopter, thought to be an Mi-24 Hind, was downed by suspected missile fire near the Mogadishu airport. The Ugandan contingent of the AU mission to Somalia claimed to have recovered the wreckage, including the bodies of two Ethiopian soldiers.^[6]

On March 31, a Ugandan soldier was killed by artillery in Mogadishu in the first death reported by African peacekeepers in the Somali capital.

On April 1, it is reported that the death toll of the previous four days of heavy fighting in the capital is around 150 killed civilians, 200 insurgents and more than 20 Ethiopian soldiers along with the one Ugandan soldier.