Somalia: Deadly battle rages between Ethiopia
soldiers, insurgents
Posted by africanpress on May 15, 2008
Beletwein (Somalia) - Ethiopian troops in central Somalia were ambushed
Wednesday as they withdrew from one town and were heading back towards
the Ethiopian border, locals said.
The fighting erupted around noon as a 30-truck Ethiopian army convoy left
their positions in Bulo Burte, a town in Hiran region. The Ethiopian
contingent was attacked in a hilly village between Bulo Burto and Beletwein,
the provincial seat of power.
Local villagers reported that the battle lasted for nearly two hours, as
Ethiopian soldiers exchanged a barrage of gunfire and artillery with Islamist
insurgents. Unconfirmed reports obtained by Garowe Online indicated that
four Ethiopian army trucks were burned after sustaining insurgent rocket
fire. There were heavy casualties on both sides of the conflict, according to
villagers, but casualty figures were difficult to obtain because of the fierce
fighting.
In one brutal incident, Ethiopian soldiers who left the frontlines entered a
small village where they pulled three Somali civilians from their home and
executed them, according to local sources. Meanwhile, the Ethiopian army’s
largest base in Hiran region, located near the border village of Kala-Beyr,
was pounded by at least seven mortars early Wednesday. It is not clear if
any soldier was hurt in the mortar attack, but locals said Ethiopian soldiers
entered surrounding villages to conduct an investigation.
Somalia’s Hiran region remains without a governor, even though Prime
Minister Nur “Adde” Hassan Hussein appointed a new administration last
month. Many members of the new regional authority have refused to accept
the jobs, citing lack of resources and political discord domestically. Yusuf
Daboged, an Ethiopian-backed warlord who was the last governor of Hiran
region, has maintained that he is the de facto governor, despite the Prime
Minister’s decree replacing him. Mr. Daboged was last reported to be in Kala-
Beyr alongside Ethiopian military commanders.
soldiers, insurgents
Posted by africanpress on May 15, 2008
Beletwein (Somalia) - Ethiopian troops in central Somalia were ambushed
Wednesday as they withdrew from one town and were heading back towards
the Ethiopian border, locals said.
The fighting erupted around noon as a 30-truck Ethiopian army convoy left
their positions in Bulo Burte, a town in Hiran region. The Ethiopian
contingent was attacked in a hilly village between Bulo Burto and Beletwein,
the provincial seat of power.
Local villagers reported that the battle lasted for nearly two hours, as
Ethiopian soldiers exchanged a barrage of gunfire and artillery with Islamist
insurgents. Unconfirmed reports obtained by Garowe Online indicated that
four Ethiopian army trucks were burned after sustaining insurgent rocket
fire. There were heavy casualties on both sides of the conflict, according to
villagers, but casualty figures were difficult to obtain because of the fierce
fighting.
In one brutal incident, Ethiopian soldiers who left the frontlines entered a
small village where they pulled three Somali civilians from their home and
executed them, according to local sources. Meanwhile, the Ethiopian army’s
largest base in Hiran region, located near the border village of Kala-Beyr,
was pounded by at least seven mortars early Wednesday. It is not clear if
any soldier was hurt in the mortar attack, but locals said Ethiopian soldiers
entered surrounding villages to conduct an investigation.
Somalia’s Hiran region remains without a governor, even though Prime
Minister Nur “Adde” Hassan Hussein appointed a new administration last
month. Many members of the new regional authority have refused to accept
the jobs, citing lack of resources and political discord domestically. Yusuf
Daboged, an Ethiopian-backed warlord who was the last governor of Hiran
region, has maintained that he is the de facto governor, despite the Prime
Minister’s decree replacing him. Mr. Daboged was last reported to be in Kala-
Beyr alongside Ethiopian military commanders.
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