From: Biniam Haile \(SWE\) (eritrea.lave@comhem.se)
Date: Thu Jul 24 2008 - 16:16:25 EDT
Insurgents resist Ethiopian army's push into key town
24 Jul 24, 2008 - 12:18:53 PM
BELETWEIN, Somalia July 24 (Garowe Online) - Islamist insurgents
attacked Ethiopian troops in central Somalia on Thursday as the
Ethiopian army attempted to retake control of a key town, Radio Garowe
reported.
At least 7 people, including civilians, have been reported dead so far
and the fighting is still continuing, according to residents in
Beletwein, capital of Hiran region.
The violence started after Ethiopian troops stationed at Jante Kundisho
military camp advanced on Beletwein last night and captured parts of the
town by early morning.
But Islamist guerillas attacked the Ethiopian soldiers, using
machineguns and rocket launchers in the battle.
Local sources report that the Ethiopian army is shelling Beletwein
neighborhoods that remain under the control of the Islamist militia.
There are no casualty reports available from the shelling, but many
civilians are stuck in the war zone even though hundreds of families
have fled to safety.
Beletwein has been tense in recent weeks, as Islamic Courts fighters
took control and the Ethiopian army threatened to invade.
The region's traditional elders have been holding back-to-back meetings
with Ethiopian commanders, attempting to postpone bloodshed and save
civilians lives.
Gunmen loyal to the Islamic Courts movement abided by the elders'
request to withdraw from the town last week, while the Ethiopian army
postponed an attack on Beletwein.
Locals say the Ethiopian army's advance on Beletwein sparked today's
violence, with the latest reports indicating that Ethiopian troops have
taken full control of the town.
Hiran Governor Mohamed "Dhagoweyne" Ahmed, who is in Nairobi, told the
BBC Somali Service that local administration is "in control" of the
region.
A bloody insurgency continues to rage in Somalia despite the signing of
a peace agreement on June 9 between the government and an
Islamist-dominated opposition group.
Source: Garowe Online
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