SOMALIA: Somali government troops backed by Ethiopia military fight their way into Jowhar, a town 70 km from Mogadishu.

A joint force of Ethiopian and Somali government troops advanced to just 30 km (18 miles) from Islamist-held Mogadishu on Wednesday (December 27), but a representative said they would besiege the Somali capital rather than attack it. Earlier, pro-government forces seized the key southern town of Jowhar from their Islamist rivals before taking Balad, just 30 km (18 miles) north of Mogadishu. Many residents left their houses to cheer the victors, backed by Ethiopian tanks, who pursued the retreating Islamists as sporadic gunfire echoed in the air. The rapid offensive came hours after Ethiopia, defending the Somali interim government, said it was halfway to crushing the Islamists, heightening fears its next step would be to use air strikes and ground troops to seize the capital. "Allahu Akbar, allahu akbar, Ladies and Gentlemen, the people of Jowhar, the people of the Middle Shabelle, I thank you for welcoming us," said regional administrator Mohamed Habeeb said. A week of mortar duels between Islamists and the Ethiopian-backed secular government has spiralled into open war that threatens to engulf the Horn of Africa, possibly attracting foreign jihadists. Ethiopia accuses neighbour Eritrea of supporting the Islamists, and says it has taken foreign prisoners of war. Ethiopia has proved more than a match for the Islamist fighters, who are driven by religious fervour but lack the MiG fighter jets and long experience of one of Africa's most effective armies. The retreating Islamists appeared to be heeding a call by their senior leader, Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, for forces to gather in Mogadishu to prepare for a long war against Ethiopia. The Somalia Islamic Courts Council (SICC) has depicted the conflict with Christian-led Ethiopia as a holy war against "crusaders", tapping into popular anti-Ethiopian sentiment after decades of rivalry between the two neighbours. Ethiopia has portrayed it as a war against al Qaeda-linked terrorists, winning tacit support from Washington, which believes Islamic militants are hiding in Somalia.

ITN Source | December 28, 2006

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