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Somalia: Heavy fighting rages near Baidoa, the government base
Wed. December 20, 2006 07:25 am. -
Mohamed Abdi Farah
(SomaliNet) A fierce fighting has erupted on Wednesday near Baidoa city in southwest of Somalia between militia loyal to Islamic Courts Union and government forces backed by Ethiopian troops.
The battle has started around 10:00 am at Modamode area near 45km to Baidoa, the base of the transitional federal government where the Islamists and government troops have exchanged all sorts of weapons fire.
There have been casualties on both sides. Each side claims that it still has the upper hand on the latest fighting.
Mohamed Ibrahim Bilal, among the Islamic Courts officials, said the ICU fighters bushed the government forces back and captured Daynunay village 30km to Baidoa.
Ibrahim, the head of Al-Bayan Islamic Court, said they have defeated the government troops together with the Ethiopian forces. He accused the government of launching the attack.
Salad Ali Jelle, the deputy minister of defense said his government repelled what he called ‘the ICU attackers’ and killed 10 of its militia.
Mr. Jelle accused the Islamic Courts of attacking the government positions.
Earlier another battle has erupted in Idale village 70km southwest of Baidoa between pro Islamist militia and government troops.
Islamist officials said they have taken over Idale area and advancing to Baidoa but the government officials denied they lost positions.
There is no independent source confirming the claim of both sides.
Residents in Baidoa told SomaliNet that they could hear the sounds of artillery.
40 soldiers of government troops were confirmed to have been injured in the latest clashes and were taken to the hospital of Baidoa, the seat of the transitional government.
The war comes as EU tries to encourage rival sides in Somalia to resume peace talks in Khartoum, Sudan
The European Commissioner for Development, Louis Michel, is now in Baidoa where he met senior government officials in a bid to convince them to get back to the negotiation table with Islamic Courts Union which control much of southern and central Somalia.
News Category: Somalia
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