Somalia — The Ethiopian troops in Mogadishu, Somali capital, have pulled out from bases in Towfik area, in the northern part of the city on Thursday evening, residents said.

The people in the area have welcomed the Ethiopian troop withdrawal from civilian areas and expressed hope that they would come back to their homes.

"A crowd of people came to the area to see their houses,"one resident said. We saw a lot of empty cans and sacks full of sand that the Ethiopian soldiers left to the areas, he added.

In another news, the Ethiopian soldiers based in Afgoye 30 kilometers (18miles) south of Mogadishu killed a civilian that was traveling a bus on Thursday night and injured another one.

The Ethiopian soldiers in Somalia often kill civilians with no reason. They conducted operations early on Thursday in the long road between Afgoye and Mogadishu, where many displaced civilians reside.

Ethiopia announced its troops will withdraw from Somalia by the end of the year2008, but many Somali elders and intellectuals cast doubt about their withdrawal.