6 Ethiopia troops reportedly killed by Somali Islamists
Nov 19, 2006 (MOGADISHU) — Islamic fighters ambushed an Ethiopian military convoy Sunday, killing six Ethiopian soldiers and wounding 20 others, eyewitnesses said, in the first known fight between the rival forces maneuvering for control in Somalia.
Two Ethiopian trucks were destroyed by land mines before Islamic fighters opened fire on the convoy, which witnesses said was made up of more than 80 vehicles and headed for the Somali government town of Baidoa, 250 kilometers west of the capital, Mogadishu. The attack occurred near the town of Bardaleh, 85 kilometers southwest of Baidoa.
Islamic courts spokesman Sheik Abdirahim Ali Mudey told the AP that four Ethiopian trucks were destroyed and some soldiers were killed, but denied his group was responsible for the attack. He said it was “a popular uprising” by village residents opposed to Ethiopian troops inside Somalia.
Islamic courts leaders have frequently described their own movement as a popular uprising, while signing international agreements not to send their forces outside of areas they already control unless they are invited by local leaders.
Government officials confirmed a skirmish had taken place but said they had no details.
Ethiopian officials were not immediately available for comment. Ethiopian official acknowledge sending military advisers to help Somalia’s government, but have denied deploying a large number of troops.
“There were two explosions and then a large exchange of gunfire,” said one eyewitness on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. Around 50 Islamic fighters were involved, the eyewitness added. “We saw Ethiopian soldiers in defensive positions and two trucks overturned.”
Several hours after the skirmish, the Ethiopian convoy arrived in Baidoa, eyewitnesses said. Large numbers of Ethiopian infantry were aboard buses as the convoy pulled into town, witnesses said.
There has been heightened tensions in Somalia and fears that an all-out war could engulf the region. Ethiopia backs the transitional government, whose authority has been severely challenged by an Islamist movement that has taken over the capital and much of southern Somalia since June.
Somalia has not had an effective government since 1991, when warlords overthrew dictator Mohamed Siad Barre and then turned on one another. The interim government was formed with the help of the United Nations two years ago, but it controls just one town.
A confidential U.N. report obtained last month by the AP said 6,000-8,000 Ethiopian troops are in or near Somalia’s border with Ethiopia, backing the interim government. The report also said 2,000 troops from Eritrea are inside Somalia supporting the Islamic movement.
(AP)