KDF Repulse Al-Shabaab Ambush, Kills 7 Terrorists in Gedo Region

This update and analysis was created and compiled by Avraham ben Adam; and, edited and posted by Moshe Megged.

Events.

• KDF troops fend off a mid-day ambush in El-Adde area of Gedo and in the process kill 7 al-Shabaab terrorists.
• Al-Shabaab terrorists used Dhamas village as an outpost to plan and execute the ambush.
• KAF bombed areas around the Dhamas village on 11^th and 12^th July 2015 as part of their deterrence-and-offensive strategy of destroying operational al-Shabaab bases located between El-Wak and El-Adde towns in Gedo region.

Ambush Repulsed.

On mid-day 15^th July 2015, one of the lead vehicles in a KDF convoy traversing through Lagolei area – of El-Adde Township – hit a concealed IED (Improvised Explosive Device). The subsequent explosion ripped through the vehicle causing one fatality (a sergeant within KDF) with another soldier suffering injuries hence his evacuation for prompt medical attention. Moments after the explosion, a gun battle ensued as al-Shabaab terrorists who had concealed themselves in the nearby thickets emerged and attempted to ambush the KDF soldiers. The ambush was repulsed after KDF overpowered the terrorists in addition to killing 7 – of the terrorists – and wounding others who retreated deeper into the thickets before fleeing the area and abandoning their improvised terrorist outpost at Dhamas village alongside an assortment of weapons which were captured by KDF.

Analysis.

According to Avraham ben Adam, Al-shabaab is setting up operational terrorist bases in civilian settlements across Somalia, and using such bases as forward positions for conducting surveillance and ambushes on AMISOM, KDF and Allied troops. Gedo region abuts the Kenya-Somalia border, and al-Shabaab has taken advantage of its relative proximity to Kenya to set up its bases in most settlements in the region – stretching from El-Wak to El-Adde towns. Lagolei area is located in El-Adde Township and the adjacent Dhamas village provides an excellent view of both El-Adde town and the road that traverses through Lagolei.

Al-Shabaab set up an operational terrorist base in the village from where they sent out scouts to monitor traffic on the road as a surveillance team sited and identified vantage concealment points for laying ambushes while an accompanying sabotage unit located IEDs emplacement points before setting up the IEDs. On the fateful day, its scouts spotted an approaching KDF convoy and relayed the information to the village base from where the surveillance teams liaised with the sabotage unit to direct an ambush force to the predetermined ambush points. Nonetheless, the ambush was repulsed and the terror group suffered considerable fatalities especially considering the fact that they operate in Gedo region in amalgamated units made up usually of around 30 armed terrorists.

Of notable significance is the fact that the Kenyan military anticipated the occurrence of such attacks and ambushes, and attempted to preempt them. On 11^th and 12^th July 2015, the Kenyan Air Force (KAF) conducted a series of combat sorties across the Gedo region from its bases in Kenya – as part of its deterrence-and-offensive strategy of destroying operational al-Shabaab bases – and bombed areas known to harbor al-Shabaab bases in expanses located between El-Wak and El-Adde towns – including Baraquo, Tunno and Laan Qurac settlements which lie alongside the Kenya-Somalia border; and areas adjacent to Dhamas village. This pre-emptive – and thereby defensive – aerial operation destroyed several al-Shabaab bases thereby limiting its operational capabilities of conducting offensive maneuvers in the area besides attenuating the potencies of ambushes and instances of hostile contacts.