Garowe — Ethiopian soldiers aboard 21 military trucks arrived in the central Somali town of Bulo Burte and have held meetings with local officials and clan elders, sources said.

The Ethiopian contingent left the capital Mogadishu and arrived in Bulo Burte in Hiran region on Saturday.

Local officials said the soldiers will be stationed in Bulo Burte but declined to comment on part of town the troops will be based.

Hiran region has seen a spike in insurgent attacks in recent months, especially in the provincial capital Beletwein where three government officials were assassinated since last month.

The Ethiopian army deployed in parts of southern Somalia in December 2006 to overthrow Mogadishu's Islamist rulers.

But the Ethiopians and their Somali government allies have struggled to restore national order in the face of near-daily insurgent attacks.