On June 8, 2024, Al-Shabaab militants attacked four military bases and overran the town of El Dher for several hours, killing many soldiers of the Somali National Force. The militants were eventually defeated by a U.S.-assisted airstrike. This was the deadliest terrorist attack since the Aws Wayne debacle.

Background

For months, security observers believed Al-Shabaab was going to attack El-Dher and Harardhere as both towns host forward operating bases. President

Hassan Sheikh Mohamud Hassan Sheikh Mohamud (Somali language, Somali: ''Xasan Sheekh Maxamuud''; ; born 29 November 1955) is a Somali politician serving as the president of Somalia since 15 May 2022. He previously held the office from 2012 to 2017. Hassan was previo ...

visited both towns in early April to show solidarity with the forces. Al-Shabaab had previously attacked Harardhere in late April, but government troops repulsed that attack and inflicted losses on Al-Shabaab.

Attack

The attack on El Dher began at pre-dawn around 4 am local time on Saturday with Al-Shabaab employing three suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices ( SVBIEDs) to breach the defenses of the Somali National Army bases. The initial assault caused confusion and panic both SNA and () forces, leading some to flee their positions. The militants detonated explosives on at least two camps, followed by an infantry attack. Government forces reportedly launched a

counterattack A counterattack is a tactic employed in response to an attack, with the term originating in "Military exercise, war games". The general objective is to negate or thwart the advantage gained by the enemy during attack, while the specific objecti ...

with the support of

airstrike An airstrike, air strike, or air raid is an offensive operation carried out by aircraft. Air strikes are delivered from aircraft such as blimps, balloons, fighter aircraft, attack aircraft, bombers, attack helicopters, and drones. The official d ...

s, attempting to regain control of the situation. The fighting lasted for hours, and reinforcement forces from Masagaway town ambushed Al-Shabaab, inflicting losses on the militant fighters.

Aftermath

Result

In the aftermath of the battle, conflicting claims emerged from both sides. The Somali government claimed to have killed 47 Al-Shabaab fighters, although no bodies were presented as evidence. They reported that 9 militants were killed in the first phase of the attack outside El-Dheer, followed by an ambush near Ali Yabaal village where 18 militants were killed. An airstrike targeted the remaining Al-Shabaab fighters in Ali Yabaal village, killing at least 20 fighters. On the other hand, Al-Shabaab claimed to have killed dozens of SNA soldiers and Macawisley militia members, including two colonels, which was partially confirmed by Facebook obituaries. Al-Shabaab also claimed to have killed 59 soldiers and fighters and published purported pictures of their fighters in at least one camp they claimed to have overrun. Two military officers, Colonel Yonis Hassan Sabriye and Colonel Abdulle Mohamud Abdi, were confirmed killed in the attack. Communication in the town has been restored, and Somali officials stated that the militants suffered heavy losses.

Reactions

Former President

Sharif Sheikh Ahmed Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed (, ; born 25 July 1965) is a Somali politician who served as the 7th President of Somalia from 2009 to 2012. Before his presidency, he became the Chairman of the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) from 2004 to 2007 and the A ...

condemned the attack and suggested three measures the government could take to prevent Al-Shabaab ambushes. Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs released statement regarding the terrorist attack in Somalia.

References