Battle of Jilib

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Jilib
partof=the War in Somalia (2006–present)
date=31 December 2006 - 1 January 2007


place=Near Jilib, Somalia
caption=(click to expand)
result=Ethiopian/TFG victory
combatant1= [cite news
title=Former Members of Radical Somali Group Give Details of Their Group
publisher=Voice of America
date=2007-01-07
url=http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-01-06-voa25.cfm
accessdate=2007-01-08]
combatant2=
commander1=Sharif Sheik Ahmed
Yusuf Hassan
commander2=TFG: Barre Adan Shire Hiiraale
strength1=3,000 Islamic militia and foreign mujahideen 60 technicals
strength2=Ethiopian tanks, artillery, MiG fighter-bombers
casualties1=
casualties2=

The Battle of Jilib was a battle in the 2006 Somali War fought by the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) and affiliated militias against Ethiopian and Transitional Federal Government (TFG) forces for control of the town of Jilib. It began on 31 December 2006, when ICU forces dug in and defended the town to prevent approach to Kismayo, the last stronghold of the ICU.

Background

After the Fall of Mogadishu, roughly 3,000 ICU fighters were said to have fled towards the port city of Kismayo, their last remaining stronghold, 300 miles (500 km) to the south. [cite news
title =Islamists abandon Somali capital
publisher =BBC
date =28 December 2006
url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6213499.stm
accessdate =2007-01-01 ] [cite news
title =Somali prime minister arrives to cheers in Mogadishu
publisher =CNN
date =29 December 2006
url =http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/africa/12/29/Mogadishu.Somalia.ap/index.html?eref=rss_topstories
accessdate =2007-01-01 ] In Kismayo, executive leader of the ICU, Sharif Sheikh Ahmed was defiant, "We will not run away from our enemies. We will never depart from Somalia. We will stay in our homeland."cite news
title =Thousands greet Somalia's prime minister as he enters capital
publisher =Associated Press
date =29 December 2006
url =http://www.canada.com/topics/news/world/story.html?id=ddbbad6e-0572-46b0-a272-c30cba8ca51a&k=6341
accessdate =2007-01-01]

In Jilib, the Islamists used bulldozers to prepare trenches and defensive positions. They had about 3,000 fighters and 60 technicals mounted with antiaircraft and antitank guns. Up to 4,700 people fled the area ahead of the fighting.cite news
first=Sahra
last=Abdi
title =Somali Islamists attacked near last bastion
publisher =Reuters
date =31 December 2006
url =http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-12-31T163946Z_01_L28741526_RTRUKOC_0_US-SOMALIA-CONFLICT.xml&WTmodLoc=IntNewsHome_C2_worldNews-3
accessdate =2007-01-01 ]

On Saturday, 30 December, joint Ethiopian/TFG troops had reached the town of Jilib, the last major town on the road to Kismayo. Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed urged the ICU soldiers to fight on.cite news
first=Stephanie
last= McCrummen
title =Further Combat Looms in Somalia
publisher =Washington Post
date =31 December 2006
url =http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/30/AR2006123001032.html
accessdate =2007-01-01 ] cite news
title =Somalia: Joint forces advance to Kismayo city, Islamist base
publisher =SomaliNet
date =30 December 2006
url =http://somalinet.com/news/world/Somalia/6308
accessdate =2007-01-01]

Battle

On Sunday, 31 December, fighting began in the thick mango forests near Helashid, 11 miles (18 km) to the northwest of Jilib. Ethiopian MiG fighters, tanks, artillery and mortars struck Islamic positions in the assault. Residents reported the road to Jilib was littered with remote-controlled landmines by the ICU.cite news
title =Thousands Flee Somalia Fighting
publisher =Yahoo!, Associated Press
date = 2006-12-31
url =http://www.wbbm780.com/pages/157834.php?contentType=4&contentId=268733
accessdate = 2007-01-01 ] TFG and Ethiopian forces also attacked Bulobaley, with mortars and rockets.

At approximately 5:00 p.m., a heavy gun battle erupted on the outskirts of Jilib town between Islamic fighters and the Ethiopian-backed interim government troops. Tanks and armored vehicles were reported committed by Ethiopian forces.cite news
first=Aweys Osman
last=Yusuf
title =Somalia: Fighting rages around Jilib near the port town of Kismayu
publisher =Shabelle Media Networks
date = 2006-12-31
url =http://www.shabelle.net/news/ne1971.htm
accessdate = 2007-01-01 ] The sound of heavy artillery fire could be heard in Jamame town near Jilib, local residents said.cite news
title =Fierce fighting breaks out in southern Somalia
publisher =SomaliNet
date =2006-12-31
url =http://www.somalinet.com/news/world/Somalia/6323
accessdate =2007-01-01 ]

Islamist commander Sheikh Yusuf Hassan said "The fighting has started. There are heavy losses on both sides," and added that they "are not going to surrender. We will fight to defend Jilib and Kismayo until we die." [cite news
title =Clashes as Somali forces advance on Islamist stronghold
publisher =bakutoday.net, Agence France-Presse
date =2006-12-31
url =http://www.bakutoday.net/view.php?d=31529
accessdate =2007-01-01 ]

Somali Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ismail Mohammed Hurreh Buba (also spelled Esmael Mohamud Hurreh) declared fighting was going well for the government, and the battles around Kismayo might take another two days. He asked for Somalia's coast to be watched for "dhows", small boats which might come and try to rescue or reinforce the Islamists in Kismayo. [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications//chiefs/chiefs164.html Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments] CIA, 22 November 2006] [cite news
first=Cathy
last=Majtenyi
title =Somali Troops Advance, Ask For Help Monitoring Coast
publisher =Voice of America
date =2006-12-31
url =http://www.voanews.com/english/2006-12-30-voa14.cfm
accessdate =2007-01-01 ] The United States Fifth Fleet's maritime task force based out of Djibouti, was patrolling off the Somali coast to prevent ICU fighters from launching an "attack or to transport personnel, weapons or other material," said Commander Kevin Aandahl.

During the night, artillery strikes continued, eventually forcing the ICU frontlines to falter. A mutiny within the ICU caused their forces to disintegrate, and abandon both Jilib and Kismayo. At 10 p.m., the sounds of battle died down. [cite news
first=
last=
title=Islamists flee final bastion
publisher=Reuters/Independent On-Line (IOL)
date=2007-01-01
url=http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=87&art_id=qw1167631740901B254
accessdate=2007-01-01 ] By midnight, the ICU front in Jilib had collapsed, and the ICU began to flee. By 2:00 a.m., they had fled from Kismayo. Local militiamen patrolled the streets, and looting began of former ICU property. They were reported to be fleeing towards Ras Kamboni island in southern Somalia, or the Kenyan border. [cite news
title =Islamic fighters abandon Somalia stronghold
publisher =bakutoday.net, MSNBC
date =2007-01-01
url =http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16417386
accessdate =2007-01-01 ] cite news
first= Mohamed Abdi
last= Farah
title=Somalia: Islamists lost their last strongholds
publisher=SomaliNet
date = 2007-01-01
url=http://somalinet.com/news/world/Somalia/6324
accessdate = 2007-01-01 ]

As a result, the transitional government requested that Kenya seal its border with Somalia. According to the BBC, Kenyan armored vehicles appeared heading toward the border, though the government made no formal statements. [cite news
title =Somalia targets Islamists' escape
publisher =BBC
date =2007-01-01
url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6223283.stm
accessdate =2007-01-01]

Aftermath

With the ICU in a retreat for the Kenyan border, Transitional Federal Government forces slowly advanced towards Kismayo to avoid the many landmines that had been placed. By 1 January 2007, they had reached Kismayo, which was taken without a fight.

Thereafter, operations moved towards securing the borders with Kenya in the provinces of Afmadow and Badhadhe in the Lower Juba region. Ethiopian aircraft and attack helicopters struck the town of Doble (Dhoobley) in Afmadow province, not far from the Kenyan border. The strikes were presumably to hit ICU elements attempting to cross the border. Fighting tailed off after midnight.cite news
title =Battle for Somalia nears Kenya border - residents
publisher =Reuters
date =2007-01-03
url =http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L0383709.htm
accessdate = 2007-01-04 ]

On 4 January, reports said ICU troops were split across Afmadow and Badade districts, and possibly concentrated at the former Al-Ittihad Al-Islamiya (AIAI) stronghold of Ras Kamboni.cite news
first=David
last=Ochami
coauthors=Nzau Musau
title =6 Kenyans killed in Somalia air strikes; border closed
publisher =Kenya Times
date =2007-01-04
url =http://www.timesnews.co.ke/04jan07/nwsstory/topstry.html
accessdate = 2007-01-04 ] TFG and Ethiopian forces reported taking district capital Afmadow (2 January), and Dhobley along the Kenyan border (3 January), and were presently en route to Badade, the district capital just north of Ras Kamboni.cite news
first=Salad
last=Duhul
coauthors= Elizabeth A Kennedy, Mohamed Olad Hassan, Mohamed Sheikh Nor, Salad Duhul, Nasteex Dahir Farah, David Ochami, Godfrey Olukya
title = Kenya tightens border with Somalia
publisher =Mail & Guardian, Associated Press
date =2007-01-04
url =http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=294906&area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__africa/
accessdate = 2007-01-04 ]

ee also

References