Barre regime as a whole and not engaged in a clan-based struggle, public officials who belonged to the same clan as the USC's core constituents were not targeted. Instead, they were embraced as heroes and welcomed into the rebel group's senior leadership positions. Samatar was alleged to have overseen the Isaaq genocide in what is now known as Somaliland. Approximately 50,000-100,000 civilians were killed in the genocide whilst local reports estimate the total civilian deaths to be upwards of 200,000 Isaaq civilians. Samatar is alleged to have commanded the forces that attacked the civilian population and committed severe crimes against humanity like mass killings, kidnapping, systematic rapes, arbitrary detentions, torture, as well as other war crimes. In 2012, seven Isaaq victims won a $21 million dollar lawsuit in the United States against Samatar for crimes against the Isaaq people. Ogaden War A distinguished graduate of Frunze, Samantar oversaw Somalia's military strategy. In the late 1970s, Samatar was the Chief Commanding Officer of the Somali National Army during the Ogaden Campaign. He and his frontline deputies faced off against their mentor and former Frunze alumni Marshal Vasily Ivanovich Petrov, who was assigned by the USSR to advise the Ethiopian Army, in addition to and likely not limited to 15,000 Cuban troops along with thousands of other socialist foreign ground forces supporting Ethiopia, led by General Arnaldo Ochoa. The Ogaden Campaign was part of a broader effort to unite all of the Somali-inhabited territories in the Horn region into a Greater Somalia (Soomaaliweyn). General Samatar was assisted in the offensive by several field commanders, most of whom were also Frunze graduates: General Yussuf Salhan commanded SNA in Jigjiga Front assisted by Col. A. Naji, capturing the area on August 30, 1977. (Later became Minister of Tourism. Salhan was eventually expelled from the Somali Socialist Party in 1985) Col. Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed commanded SNA in Negellie Front. (Later the leader of SSDF rebel group based in Ethiopia. Col Ahmed was arrested by Ethiopia's Mengistu. He was released after the collapse of the Mengistu regime in 1991) Col. Abdullahi Ahmed Irro commanded SNA in the Godey Front. (Retired and became a Professor of Strategy in Mogadishu Somalia) Col. Ali Hussein commanded SNA in two front's, Qabri Dahare and Harrar. (Eventually joined the SNM late 1988) Col. Farah Handulle commanded SNA in the Wardheer Front. (Became a civilian administrator and Governor of Sanaag, later killed