Al Shabab terrorists attacked an airfield in Somalia on Monday, injuring one service member just days ahead of the anniversary of the Battle of Mogadishu.
The service member was examined for a concussion after the terrorist group staged a car bomb attack on Baledogle Military Airfield, 60 miles northwest of the capital of Mogadishu. The base is used as an operations center for U.S. drone strikes. American and Somali forces repelled the attack, killing 10 terrorists and destroying their vehicle.
“This attack, though ineffective, demonstrates the direct threat al-Shabaab poses to Americans, our allies, and interests in the region,” Maj. Gen. William Gayler, director of operations for U.S. Africa Command, said in a Monday statement. “Incidents like this will not compromise the pressure being placed on this terrorist network by the Federal Government of Somalia and international partners.”
The attack occurred three days before the 29th anniversary of the Battle of Mogadishu, immortalized in Black Hawk Down, the 1999 book by Mark Bowden, and in the 2001 film by the same name.
James Lechner, a retired Army lieutenant colonel who was wounded during the battle, told the Washington Examiner he was not surprised to learn of the attack.
“We took a shot at doing something to try to help them with nation building and we had a bad experience, so then we just kind of left it to fester. And so now al Shabab has taken root, piracy has taken root, or flourished there. So you can’t just put your head in the sand as we seem to have done, hope its all going to go away, just like Afghanistan,” Lechner said.
The Battle of Mogadishu took place on Oct. 3 and 4 when two Black Hawk helicopters were shot down during a mission to capture two high-ranking lieutenants belonging to Mohamed Farrrah Aidid, a Somali warlord. What was supposed to be an hourlong assault stretched over two days, with 19 U.S. personnel killed and 73 wounded. Three days after the incident, President Bill Clinton announced an end to “U.S. proactive policy in Somalia,” calling for a withdrawal of U.S. forces by March 31, 1994.
“Although this certainly is a significant anniversary, it’s not something that ever really leaves our mind,” Lechner said.
While most Americans are supportive of veterans, Lechner said, few know much about what he and his fellow soldiers did in Mogadishu. But what bothers him most is the politics surrounding U.S. military intervention.
“I still see the same characters getting a significant platform to speak on and deride and criticize the military,” Lechner said, pointing to Arizona Democratic Sen. Kirsten Sinema, who promoted events in 2003 featuring a lawyer convicted of aiding the leader of a terrorist group. He added that he was “flabbergasted” at the lack of response from Congress when Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar claimed in 2017 that U.S. forces killed “thousands” of Somalis.
U.S. forces have been fighting al Shabab for more than 10 years as part of the global war on terrorism. Military advisers have been in Somalia since at least 2013, with about 500 troops on the ground today.
The military has suffered sporadic casualties since then. Army Staff Sgt. Alexander Conrad was killed and four others were wounded in 2018 after being shelled by enemy forces. A raid against al Shabab forces the year before left Navy SEAL Kyle Milliken dead and two others injured.
In addition to Monday’s airfield attack, al Shabab claimed responsibility for bombing an Italian military convoy in Mogadishu. American forces launched an airstrike against the group the same day, killing one terrorist. So far in 2019, U.S. forces have conducted 54 airstrikes against al Shabab.
