[4][5] On August 14, 2006, local tribal leaders as well as wishing autonomy from the state of Galmudug, organized Ethio-Puntland Militias and put Abdi Qeybdid in charge of them.

[8][citation needed] On November 22, Ethiopia imposed a curfew on the town of Balanbale and was searching residents entering or leaving the village.

[11][citation needed] On December 1, in Galkayo, it was reported 9 clerics of the Islamic Tabliq sect had been arrested under the orders of Colonel Abdi Qeybdiid.

[12][citation needed] On December 7–8, the militia of warlord Abdi Qeybdid took part in skirmishes against forces of the ICU near the small settlement of Sadeh Higlo between Bandiradley and Galkayo.

[14] On the same day hundreds of Ethiopian troops also took up position near Dinsor, a town nearly 1000 km south of Bandiradley and the ICU held a rally of over 5,000 people in Mogadishu to protest the UN decision to send a peacekeeping force to Somalia[14] On December 16, it was reported a local Islamic court named Imamu Shahfici was set up in Abudwaq.

[16][citation needed] Just prior to the battle, on December 22, Ethiopian troops departed Balanbale where they had been in occupation for the past three months.

[citation needed] This was reportedly done at the urging of the tribal elders, who did not wish fighting to break out between the ICU and Ethiopia in their town.