Ras Kamboni Brigade

Hizbul Islam was formed in January, 2008 and was recently taken over by Hassan Dahir Aweys. It is composed of four rebel factions:

• Eritrea-based ICU faction,
• Ras Kamboni Brigade
• Anole Islamiya
• Jabhatul Islamiya.

It may be that The Ras Kamboni Brigade is either named in Honor of the Islamic Courts Union's last stand, ending January 12, 2007, or is made up of remnants of Islamist militias that fought there.

What follows is the story of the Battle, from Wikipedeia.


-Shimron Issachar

The battle began on January 5, 2007, when TFG and Ethiopian forces launched their assault. On January 7, 2007, the United States entered the conflict by launching airstrikes using an AC-130 gunship against suspected Al Qaeda members operating within the ranks of the ICU.[4] International concern and controversy arose over civilian casualties in additional airstrikes around Ras Kamboni and in Afmadow province, and whether these were the result of U.S. actions or Ethiopian aircraft operating in the area. The town finally fell to the TFG and Ethiopian forces on January 12, 2007.[5]

The Battle of Ras Kamboni was a battle in the 2006-2007 Somali War fought by the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) and affiliated militias against Ethiopian and the Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG) forces for control of Ras Kamboni (1°38′20″S 41°35′17″E / 1.63889°S 41.58806°E / -1.63889; 41.58806), a town near the Kenyan border which once served as a training camp for the militant Islamist group Al-Itihaad al-Islamiya.