From: Berhane Habtemariam (Berhane.Habtemariam@gmx.de)
Date: Wed Oct 29 2008 - 10:27:53 EST
Somalia-Fresh fighting lef 4 Ethiopian soldiers dead in Somali capital
29.10.2008
Fresh clashes between Ethiopian troops and insurgents have left 4 Ethiopian soldiers dead in the Somali capital on Wednesday, eyewitnesses say.
Heavy gunfire has erupted around Towfiq area as Ethiopian-backed government forces battled with Islamists. "I saw four bodies of Ethiopian soldiers near the place the clash erupted" Mohamud Toshow, a resident of Towfiq neighbourhood confirmed to mareeg.
It's yet unknown the causalities of the insurgents but residents say the two sides have suffered heavy causalities in the fighting.
Ethiopia says it will withdraw some of its troops from Somalia and will gradually handover responsibilities to the African Union force. So far more than 2,000 AU troops have arrived, of the planned 8,000-strong force.
The country of seven million collapsed into lawlessness with the 1991 overthrow of military ruler Mohammed Siad Barre, and an for more than four years-old government aimed at restoring central government and reach peace has failed to yield much change on the ground.
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