Islamists 'to wage full-scale war'
2006-12-22 14:42
Baidoa - Fighting between Ethiopia-backed government troops and Islamist forces raged for a third day on Friday in southern Somalia, with the Islamists vowing to wage "full-scale war".
Islamic commander Hassan Bullow said: "Our Mujahideen are ready to defend themselves from the invading enemies. This war is a religious obligation and we are here to fight for our religion against the enemies until we die."
Ethiopia was supporting Somalia's weak government against the Islamist forces, which controlled the capital, Mogadishu, and much of the war-ravaged Horn of Africa nation.
Clashes erupted on Wednesday, a day after the expiry of a deadline issued by the Islamists for Ethiopian troops to pull out or face major attacks.
'Fighting is continuing'
The government said the two sides traded heavy shellfire on Friday, east and south of Baidoa, the seat of the government about 250km northwest of the capital.
Information minister Ali Jama said: "The fighting is continuing heavily on both fronts. Much fighting is taking place, mainly in Idale and Dinsoor", referring to the outposts about 60km and 120km south of Baidoa.
Witnesses said Ethiopian tanks travelled overnight to Daynunay, a flashpoint garrison town about 30km to the east, where shelling was reported.
An Islamist spokesperson, Sheikh Ibrahim Shukri, reported a "small exchange of fire around Idale, and our Mujahideen were winning in the war.
He said: "We are still defending ourselves, but from now on we tell you that the Islamic courts will engage in full-scale war against Ethiopia."
Both sides said they had inflicted heavy casualties, although no independent figures were available. Hundreds of civilians had fled the fighting.
200 men killed
The government said it had killed "about 200" rival fighters and wounded hundreds more for the past three days, while the Islamists reported killing at least 70 on the government side.
Jama said: "The Islamists have suffered heavy casualties because they are attacking and we are defending, they have lost about 200 men including foreign fighters."
Islamist chief Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys on Thursday appealed to Somalis to "join the war against Ethiopia". Jama responded: "They said yesterday that they are at war, fine, we are ready to defend ourselves."
The fighting came despite a statement by European Commission humanitarian chief Louis Michel on Wednesday that he had secured both sides' commitment to observe a truce and resume peace talks.
Arab League-mediated talks in Khartoum collapsed in November after Islamists refused to negotiate until Ethiopia withdraws its troops.
Analysts had warned that a war in Somalia could engulf the whole region, drawing in Ethiopia's arch-foe Eritrea, as both countries were accused of fighting a proxy war in the lawless country.