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Africa Horn

Somalia's Islamic Radicals Repel Attack on Kismayo

2006-10-15

KISMAYO, Somalia (AP) - Islamic radicals repulsed an attack by pro-government forces to recapture a vital seaport and on Saturday took control of a sympathetic coastal town, in further signs of the central administration's weakening grasp.

A militia loyal to the defense minister tried to retake Kismayo, three weeks after losing Somalia's third-largest town to Islamic fighters who have seized the capital and most of the south. "We will continue to launch attacks until we recapture the city," Col. Abas Gurei, a commander for the defense minister, Col. Barre "Hirale" Aden Shire, told The Associated Press by telephone.

The fighting on the town's outskirts lasted for two hours as rival forces used heavy machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades, witnesses said. Three civilians and two fighters, one from each side, were injured, said Abdi Yusuf, an official from Kismayo's local hospital.

That's all? Who's training the machine gun operators?

The Islamic forces were pursuing Shire's retreating fighters toward the town of Barhani, some 30 miles west of Kismayo, Islamic Courts official Abdullahi Warsame said.

Armed Islamic militia were patrolling the streets and tensions remained high. "We are prepared for further attacks and we have put our forces on alert," Ahmed told reporters. "We will defend Kismayo."

The Islamic group continued to expand Saturday, with the symbolic takeover of Brava, a coastal town 125 miles southwest of the capital, and one of the small pockets in the south still outside their control. The town's leaders are sympathetic to the Islamic group, but pledged to hand over their weapons.

Posted by:Steve White

#3 It has been a truism in Africa that the general approach to combat has been spray and pray : put it on full auto and empty a magazine in the general direction of the enemy. The professional militaries on the continent spend a lot of time drumming aimed shots only into the minds of their troops. Even African troops that qualify as Special Forces have those issues - US, British, French, Israeli, and South African Special Forces all complained about how difficult it was to teach basic marksmanship to African troops, and how quickly they would lose their fire discipline in the field.

Posted by: Shieldwolf 2006-10-15 21:05

#2 I think you're on to something 5089.

IE posturing and scaring off the ennemy?

Think of the pali peoples love of air shots, romantic masks and dashing pose.

Posted by: Shipman 2006-10-15 13:19

#1 Regarding the lenght of the fire exchange, the probably high number of shots fired, and the incredibly low numbers casualties (most of them bystanders)... I wonder how much of the somali warfighting is "tribal", IE posturing and scaring off the ennemy? I'm not implying they're cowards or anything, I'm sure most of these guys have seen more combat than a majority of western soldiers, but I don't know if their notion of "fighting" is the same as ours.
For example, from the little I understand, the "traditional" african way of war (might not be true for actual guerillas and foreign-trained armies like nigeria or the rwandese tutsis, or all the french warschools-educated officers around, dunno) is to have the kid soldiers approach the target firing wildly on full auto; if the defenders feel they're outnumbered/outgunned, they flee without resistance, and the target is taken.

Posted by: anonymous5089 2006-10-15 12:05

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