Battle for Central Somalia (2009)

Central Somalia spring fighting of 2009
Part of Somali Civil War, War in Somalia (2009-present)
Date May 11, 2009 - October 1, 2009 Location Hiraan, Shabeellaha Dhexe and Galgudug, Somalia Result ARS-administration destroyed. Insurgent alliance is broken, fighting loses esteem. Territorial changes Rebels take control of Middle Shabelle and parts of Hiraan.
Belligerents
Al-Shabaab Hizbul Islam Foreign Mujahideen	Somalia: ARS-TFG coalition Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah  Ethiopia
Commanders and leaders
Mukhtar Robow "Abu Mansoor" Muktar Abdirahman "Godane" Ali Saleh Nabhan † Ali Mohamed Hussein Abdirahman Hassan Hussein Ali "Dheere" Mohamud Hassan Dahir Aweys Omar Abu Hadi Hassan Turki Abdi Osman "Qorey" Muse Abdi Arale Hassan Mahdi Ibrahim Yusuf* Abdinasir Jalil* Aden Abdi † Abdullahi Hiiraan Shuriye Farah Sabriye	Sharif Ahmed Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke Yusuf Hussein Dumal Omar Hashi Aden † Muktar Hussein Afrah Mohamed Daqane Elmi Abdulkadir Ali Omar Abdirahman Ibrahim Ma'ow Abdirahman Farah Dirow † Ahmed Osman Abdalla known "Inji" Dahir Addow Alasow Sheikh Abu Yusuf Sharif Ali Ahmed Aden Abdi Nur Sheikh Osman Ali Abdirisak Asari Omar Mohammed Farah Omar Osman Afrah
Casualties and losses
80 killed (ICU claim)	Total: 52 KIA 50+ KIA 2 KIA
124+ civilians killed 3,300+ displaced
Sheikh Ibrahim Yusuf and Shiekh Abdinasir Jalil were former commanders of the ICU administration in Beledweyn who switched sides with his men and joined Hizbul Islam.

A series of battles in Hiraan, Shabeellaha Dhexe and Galgudug, between rebels of al-Shabaab and Hizbul Islam and Somali government forces and ICU militants loyal to the government, erupted during spring 2009. The fighting led to al-Shabaab capturing major government strongholds and Ethiopian forces re-entering Somalia and setting up bases in Hiraan. There was a halt in fighting during a government offensive in Mogadishu, which started on May 22.