Garowe Online (Garowe)
24 July 2008
At least 16 people have been killed in renewed clashes in central Somalia after Ethiopian troops attacked and retook control of a key town near the Somali-Ethiopian border, Radio Garowe reported.
Ethiopian troops attacked Beletwein town early Thursday morning from different directions, using armored vehicles and heavy firepower to crush armed resistance from Islamist militias.
Residential areas of Beletwein, the regional capital of Hiran, were hit by Ethiopian shells as hundreds of civilians fled their homes.
Medical contacts told Radio Garowe that at least 10 civilians were wounded during the battle and the subsequent shelling of civilian areas.
Our correspondent reports that dead bodies - mostly soldiers and insurgents - were still lying on the ground by midday. A separate 20-minute battle erupted around 1pm in the western part of town, where most of today's violence was concentrated.
Ethiopian forces have taken full control of the town's two strategic bridges, the main administration building and the central police station.
Islamist fighters have withdrawn to the outskirts of town, according to the latest reports.
Somali military officials say the Ethiopian army's decision to retake Beletwein by force came after insurgents issued written warnings yesterday to the town's elders, warning the elders against cooperating with Ethiopian armed forces.
In recent weeks, as Islamist militias maintained control of Beletwein, local elders were negotiating with Ethiopian commanders in a bid to avoid bloodshed.
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