Analysis of information sources in references of the Wikipedia article "Грамадзянская вайна ў Самалі" in Belarusian language version.
The result was a bloodbath. SNM fighters quickly overran many villages until they captured Burao and moved into Hargeysa in May 1989. The regime, at first caught off-guard, responded by sending its full military might under the command of Siad Barre's son-in-law General Mohammed Siad Hersi "Morgan". The battles were fierce and brutal. Hargeysa suffered unrestricted aerial bombardment (some planes were piloted by South African mercenaries) and heavy artillery fire. Within days, the second largest city of Somalia lay in ruins (more than 70 percent destroyed), and many of its citizens fled across the border to Ethiopia. The regime unleashed loyal Ogadeni militias, once armed to fight to Ethiopians, to attack the civilian Isag population.
