On January 15, 2016, at 4:30 AM EAT, hundreds of jihadists from the Al-Qaeda branch in Somalia, Harakat Shabaab Mujahideen, launched a gun attack on a Kenyan Army camp in El-Adde, Gedo region of Somalia. The attack involved the detonation of three Suicide Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Devices (SVBIEDs) and an estimated 16 Suicide Body Borne-Improvised Explosive Devices (SBBIEDs) at the camp, which was manned by 180 soldiers from the 1-9th Kenya Rifles Company.
The SVBIEDs caused significant damage to the camp, destroying military vehicles and equipment, and killing approximately 63 soldiers. The attackers also targeted command and base defense positions using the SBBIEDs. Hundreds of jihadists were killed and injured during the six-hour-long attack.
Response and Aftermath ¶
A search and rescue operation conducted by the Kenyan Special Forces brought home over 87 soldiers. However, intelligence reports suggest that an unspecified number of soldiers, estimated to be between 10-12, were taken hostage by the enemy. Some of these hostages had their voices recorded and aired on pro-Shabaab radio.
The attack highlighted the use of asymmetrical warfare by the Al-Shabaab terror group, which has been facing challenges due to a decline in foreign fighter enlistment and the threat of the Islamic State within its ranks. The group's use of SVBIEDs has become a signature tactic, with the El-Adde attack being one of the most notable examples.
Investigation and Analysis ¶
Intelligence assessments suggest that the attack may have been planned for nearly a year, with the SVBIEDs being assembled using bombs looted from Ugandan and Burundian AMISOM contingents in Somalia. The attack also raised questions about potential complicity within the AMISOM base, with reports suggesting that the enemy had prior intelligence on the base formations, outposts, and communication systems.
The Kenyan army issued a statement announcing precision ground and air counter-strikes, which resulted in the destruction of over 26 terrorist camps in Gedo and East of Juba, and the killing of hundreds of Al-Shabaab militants.
