DHUSAMAREB, Somalia June 26, 2007 – Ethiopian soldiers and armored vehicles have arrived in parts of Galgadud region in central Somalia, officials and residents said Tuesday.

The Ethiopians, accompanied by Somali soldiers from Mogadishu, were targeted in a landmine explosion as their military convoy drove through Hiran region just south of Galgadud, according to local officials.

The Ethiopian force is expected to assist in disarmament and security efforts in the region. Galgadud is the home region of many Islamic Courts officials, including influential chief Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys.

A Somali military official in Hiran said last week that Guri El, a town in Galgadud, was the source of explosives used in recent attacks on government and Ethiopian positions in the region, a charge later denied by the mayor of Guri El.

Galgadud regional officials said the Somali-Ethiopian force came at their request in a bid to strengthen regional security. The region has experienced insecurity in recent months, especially along the vital north-south highway that leads to northern Somalia.

Residents in Mataban district, southwest of Guri El, confirmed that the Ethiopian military convoy of more than 20 armored trucks drove through town Monday en route to other parts of Galgadud.

On our May 9 edition, Garowe Online reported that were plans to deploy Ethiopian troops in Galgadud, a region that has been viewed as a stronghold of Islamist sympathizers.

The Ethiopian government, which deployed its army into Somalia last year, has repeatedly stated that   it will withdraw its troops as soon as a complete African Union peacekeeping force is deployed.

Save for 1,500 Ugandan soldiers in Mogadishu, the AU has failed to convince other member states to send peacekeepers to Somalia where government and Ethiopian soldiers continue to face near-daily guerrilla attacks.

Source: Garowe Online