Jabhatul Islamiya
Encyclopedia
Jabhatul Islamiya also known as the Somali Islamic Front (SIF) was an Islamist insurgent group in Somalia
. The group participated in the 2006-2009 insurgency against Ethiopia and in January 2009 merged with the Asmara
based wing of the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia
, led by Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, the Ras Kamboni Brigade, led by Sheikh Hassan Abdullah Hersi al-Turki and a smaller group Mu'askar Anole to form Hizbul Islam which became the second most powerful insurgent group (after al-Shabaab
) in Somalia
which continued fighting the TFG
and AMISOM peacekeepers, after Ethiopia
n withdrawal.
19 January 2009, Jabhatul Islamiya fought a battle over the police headquarters of Mogadishu
's Dharkinley district with the Somali government which killed at least 2 people. Jabhatul Islamiya had seized the police station a week earlier but was overpowered and forced to withdraw. Later in the day however they received re-enforcements and managed to re-take control over the police station.
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
. The group participated in the 2006-2009 insurgency against Ethiopia and in January 2009 merged with the Asmara
Asmara
Asmara is the capital city and largest settlement in Eritrea, home to a population of around 579,000 people...
based wing of the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia
Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia
Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia is an organization created in September 2007 when Somali Islamists and opposition leaders meeting in Asmara, the capital of Eritrea, joined forces to fight the Transitional Federal Government and the occupation of Somalia by Ethiopian forces.Roughly 400...
, led by Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, the Ras Kamboni Brigade, led by Sheikh Hassan Abdullah Hersi al-Turki and a smaller group Mu'askar Anole to form Hizbul Islam which became the second most powerful insurgent group (after al-Shabaab
Al-Shabaab (Somalia)
Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen , more commonly known as al-Shabaab , is a terrorist group of militants fighting to overthrow the government of Somalia. As of 2011, the group controls large swathes of the southern parts of Somalia, where it is said to have imposed its own strict form of Sharia law...
) in Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
which continued fighting the TFG
Transitional Federal Government
The Transitional Federal Government is the current internationally recognized government of the Republic of Somalia. It was established as one of the Transitional Federal Institutions of government as defined in the Transitional Federal Charter adopted in November 2004 by the Transitional...
and AMISOM peacekeepers, after Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
n withdrawal.
19 January 2009, Jabhatul Islamiya fought a battle over the police headquarters of Mogadishu
Mogadishu
Mogadishu , popularly known as Xamar, is the largest city in Somalia and the nation's capital. Located in the coastal Benadir region on the Indian Ocean, the city has served as an important port for centuries....
's Dharkinley district with the Somali government which killed at least 2 people. Jabhatul Islamiya had seized the police station a week earlier but was overpowered and forced to withdraw. Later in the day however they received re-enforcements and managed to re-take control over the police station.