Ethiopian troops kill 17 Al-Shabaab militants in Somali weeks after ambush in Doolow

DOLOW, Somalia - At least 17 Al-Shabaab militants were killed by elite Ethiopian National Defense Forces [ENDF] troops, a top official confirmed, in a rare statement from the army which rarely publicizes its operations.

In a statement on Monday, Col. Habtom Zenebe of FDRE Defense Force, Eastern Air Force Deputy Commander for Operation, said the militants were killed in Kurteele and Yurkud villages, which are important links between Doolow and Baidoa.

The militants, he noted, had targeted the ENDF convoy along the route but the military "acted swiftly" by "opening fire" which killed a record 17 of them. The troops were headed to Baidoa, the administrative capital of Southwest, he added.

For almost a month now, the contingent of non-AMISOM Ethiopian troops has been camping in Doolow town within the Gedo region, after crossing over from Eastern Ethiopia albeit controversially.

Zenebe said "this operation now enables free movement of our troops" noting that "we are not going to allow Al-Shabaab to terrorize innocent civilians in the territory of our good neighbors". He did not mention the number of Al-Shabaab militants who were caught in the shooting melee.

"Nothing is going to stop us from discharging our constitutional duties and mandate," noted the ENDF colonel. "We shall fight and restore dignity to the people of Somalia. These people are not even trained soldiers."

The attack was seemingly a retaliation against the Al-Qaida linked militants, who had opened fire against ENDF troops near Doolow town a fortnight ago, injuring dozens of soldiers. Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility.

"We attacked a convoy of Ethiopian troops in Doolow who are in the occupation mission in Somalia. We shall fight back and defend our people," the group had claimed through proxy media sites, without confirming the number of casualties.

Traditionally, ENDF has never reported its operations contrary to allied forces in AMISOM. Instead, the troops' successes are recognized by the Africa Union Mission in Somalia, during important occasions.

ENDF troops in AMISOM serve within Sector VI in Jubaland and Sector III which covers parts of Southwest. Lt. General Tigabu Yilma, an Ethiopian, is the force commander of AMISOM.

But despite the significant progress in the fight against Al-Shabaab, the ENDF which isn't part of AMISOM has faced persistent criticism from opposition leaders in Somalia, who accuse the team of "forceful occupation" and "conspiracy" to overthrow regional leaders.

For instance, Jubaland President Ahmed Madobe wrote to the UN and Ethiopian PM Ahmed Abiy in December 2019, questioning the "illegal" presence of non-AMISOM troops in parts of Gedo. He accused ENDF of "aiding" FGS to "undermine" regional leaders.

In December 2018, the non-AMISOM Ethiopian troops were also linked to skirmishes in Baidoa during the regional presidential polls. The troops arrested former Al-Shabaab operative Mukhtaar Robow, who has since been condemned to a Mogadishu prison. He was running for Southwest presidency.

So controversial has been the ENDF mission in Somalia, that their recent cross over to Somalia in Gedo also sparked protests from locals and opposition figures who accuse the team of "undermining Somalia's sovereignty".

Their decision to cross over last month and subsequently establish a base in Doolow in March, came few days after Somalia Prime Minister Hassan Ali Kheire visited Addis Ababa, reports indicate.

Abdishakur Warsame, the leader of the Wadajir party, accused Kheire of "asking Ethiopia to deploy soldiers in Gedo". However, FGS dismissed the allegations as "cheap propaganda" staged to fight "Somalia's federalism".

Somalia had deployed SNA troops in Doolow and Balad-Hawo within Gedo in February, precipitating to fierce clashes between the Turkish-trained soldiers and Jubaland forces, who were buoyed by the KDF, father causing a standoff.

The US warned against SNA deployment in Gedo, terming it "unnecessary". The move, Washington DC told United Nations Security Council, "would give room for Al-Shabaab resurgence" in Somalia.

But a defiant President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo argued that SNA had "rights to defend its borders" when he was interviewed by universal TV. He also blamed Kenya for the impasse in Gedo. However, he recently called for a truce after a phone call from President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Al-Shabaab remains a danger to Somalia's stability despite being greatly weakened, AFRICOM said in a statement recently. There are close to 7,000 active Shabaab fighters scattered across Somalia, the US Africa Command added.

GAROWE ONLINE