MOGADISHU, 31 March 2007 - Hundreds of more Ethiopian soldiers were headed to Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, as insurgents battled government troops and their Ethiopian allies for the third straight day.

The Ethiopian military convoy that included tanks passed through Beletwein, a town 330km northwest of Mogadishu, witnesses said on Saturday.

The governor of Hiran region, Hussein Mohamed Maalin, confirmed to Garowe Online that the Ethiopian reinforcements were heading to Mogadishu to help the transitional government assert control.

“They [Ethiopians] are ready to clean [Islamic] Courts remnants from Mogadishu,” Governor Maalin said.

The governor said that government troops from Hiran region would accompany the Ethiopians to Mogadishu, where they will partake in efforts to disarm and secure Somalia’s volatile capital after 16 years of factional fighting.

At least 13 people were reported dead in Saturday’s violence across Mogadishu. The last three days of violence, which has forced thousands to flee their homes, has been described as the worst fighting in 15 years.

Mogadishu hospitals are filled beyond capacity with hundreds of wounded, most of them civilians.

Islamist insurgents were supported by clan militia fighters in gun battles with Somali and Ethiopian troops.

Observers fear that more Ethiopian troops would fan the flames of war in Mogadishu, where they are widely perceived as invaders by a hostile population.

Source: Garowe Online