Somali Civil War (2009–present)

This is the newer part of the Somali Civil War which began in 2009. It is mainly between the al-Shabaab jihadist group and the Somali government. It is mainly happening in southern and central Somalia and parts of north eastern Kenya. It began in early February 2009 with the conflict between the forces of the Federal Government of Somalia, supported by African Union peacekeeping troops.

On 16 October 2011, the Kenyan Army crossed the border into Somalia in Operation Linda Nchi against al-Shabaab. They wanted to capture Kismayo.

In August 2014, the Somali government launched Operation Indian Ocean.

In 2017, the 14 October Mogadishu bombings killed over 500 people and injured over 300 others. In December 2019, a suicide truck bombing in Mogadishu killed at least 85 people.

An American airstrike carried out on September 12, 2025, in Badhan, in the region of Sanaag in Puntland, which targeted a traditional leader accused of being a member of Al-Shabaab, was executed, in coordination with the Somali federal government.

## Related pages

- List of ongoing armed conflicts
- Operation Atalanta

## Infobox (military conflict)

- **conflict**: Somali Civil War (2009–present)
- **partof**: the Somali Civil War and the war on terror
- **image**: File:Somali Civil War Map on the 5th October 2024.svg
- **image size**: 300px
- **caption**: <div style="text-align: left;">Military situation in Somalia as of September 2024

(For a more detailed map of the current military situation, see Template:Somali Civil War detailed map, here)</div>
- **date**: 31 January 2009 – present
()
- **place**: Somalia, Northeastern Kenya
- **status**: List of ongoing military conflicts, Ongoing
*Transitional Federal Government takes control over Mogadishu, Merca, Baidoa, Hudur, and Jowhar.
*Merger and split between/of Hizbul Islam and Al-Shabaab (militant group), al-Shabaab forces.
*Power struggle within Al-Shabaab between pro-Al-Qaeda (international agenda) and moderate members (domestic agenda); moderate faction defeated
*Federal Government of Somalia, Federal Government formed in August 2012
*Al-Shabaab loses control of most of South and Central Somalia
*Operation Linda Nchi launched
*Operation Indian Ocean launched
*Operation Juba Corridor launched
- **combatant1**: ** Al-Qaeda**
* Al-Shabaab (militant group), Al-Shabaab
**Al-Hijra
*Mujahideen#Somalia, Foreign mujahideen
 Hizbul Islam (until 2010; 2012–2014)

**Allegedly supported by:**

---
***' (from 2015)
*Islamic State in Somalia
- **combatant2**: ***'
*Somali Armed Forces

**Supported by:**

**Non-combat support:**

- **commander1**: **Ahmad Umar**

<small>(Al-Shabaab (militant group)#Leaders, Emir of al-Shabaab)</small>

Fuad Qalaf (former)

Sheikh Mukhtar Robow Mansur, Abu Mansur

Moktar Ali Zubeyr

Hassan Abdullah Hersi al-Turki

Mohamed Said Atom

Ibrahim Haji Jama Mee'aad

Hassan Dahir Aweys

Sheikh Omar Iman Abubakar, Omar Iman (former)

Abu Mansoor Al-Amriki

Abu Musa Mombasa (former)

Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan

Fazul Abdullah Mohammed
---
 Sheikh **Abdul Qadir Mumin**

**Abu al-Hasan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi**

Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi

Mahad Maalin

Abdihakim Mohamed Ibrahim ("Dhoqob")

- **commander2**: **Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed**
<small>(President of Somalia)</small>

Hassan Ali Khaire
<small>(Prime Minister of Somalia)</small>

Abdirashid Abdullahi Mohamed
<small>(Minister of Defense)</small>

Abdullahi Anod
 <small>(Chief of the Army)</small>

Omar Hashi Aden
<small>(Former Minister of Security)</small>

Osman Noor Soubagleh
<small>(Force Commander of AMISOM)</small>

Abreha Tesfay
<small>(Deputy Force Commander of AMISOM)</small>

Cyprien Ndikuriyo
<small>(AMISOM Chief of Staff)</small>

Ahmed Mohamed Islam
<small>(President of Jubaland, Chairman of the Raskamboni Movement)</small>

Sheikh Ibrahim Sheikh Hassan
<small>(Chairman of Ahlu Sunna Waljama'a)</small>

Mohamed Ali Hassan
<small> (Chief Minister of Galmudug)</small>

Abdiweli Mohamed Ali
<small>(President of Puntland)</small>

Ahmed Duale Gelle
<small>(President of Galmudug)</small>

Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden
<small>(President of Southwestern Somalia)</small>
- **strength1**: 5,000–7,000
*1,200 Mujahideen#Somalia, foreign fighters (2011)
 Unknown
---
 200–300
- **strength2**: 18,000–36,000

~20,000

~2,000

<1,000 (2010)

~600 (2019)
- **casualties1**: 8,016 killed (by 2012)

5 killed
- **casualties2**:
756 killed
367 wounded
<small>(by October 2012)</small>

1,100–3,000+ killed

3 killed
3 wounded

66+ killed

17+ killed
40 wounded

3 killed, 2 contractors killed
5 wounded
- **casualties3**: 4,365 killed <small>(in 2015)</small>
---
**Jan 2009 – Oct 2012**:

4,093–6,310 killed

10,938 wounded
- **notes**: <small>1. Sheikh Omar Iman Abubakr was leader of Hizbul Islam until 26 May 2009, when he stepped down and handed over his position to Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys.</small>