From: Berhane Habtemariam (Berhane.Habtemariam@gmx.de)
Date: Mon Jan 12 2009 - 11:46:12 EST
Somalia: Heavy Fighting Breaks Out in Southern Region
12 January 2009
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Bardhere - Heavy fighting between Ethiopian soldiers accompanied by Somali
government soldiers and Islamist insurgents has broken out in Bardhere town
in Geda region, southern Somalia early on Monday morning, Shabelle's
correspondent reported.
Residents say that the fighting has started about 02:00 local time in
Kilaliyow Mountain which is 12 kilometers north of Bardhere town in Gedo
region and both allied soldiers and the Somali Islamist insurgents have
exchanged heavy weapons which could be heard in all the areas around the
town during the fighting.
Mohamed Abdi kalil, a deputy district commissioner of Bardhere town and Col.
Warfaa Sheik Aden known as (Farole), a government soldiers' officer in Jubba
regions, southern Somalia have talked the fighting and said that there were
more casualties including deaths and wounds but could not be confirmed and
denied that the fighting was involved by Ethiopian troops.
The real casualty of the fighting is unclear and there is no group who
claimed the responsibility of the fighting in Bardhere town yet.
Reports from Bardhere town say that the fighting was stopped and the
situation returned calm.
The Ethiopian troops arrived in Somalia in 2006 to help the transitional
government oust Islamists from the capital but many of Somalis were deeply
unpopular with the Ethiopian intervention.
The fighting comes as Ethiopian government announced it will withdraw its
troops from Somali territory in over the past week but delayed.
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