Ethiopia says up to 1,000 Islamic fighters killed in Somali

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Source: CCTV.com | 12-28-2006 14:10

A joint force of Ethiopian and Somali government troops has advanced to within 30 kilometers of the Islamist-held capital. The question on many minds is: Will it mean an end to the violence or the start of more fighting?

The last major town has been taken by the joint forces on their way to the capital.

The Ethiopian and Somali troops took the key southern city of Jowhar on Wednesday with artillery, mortars and heavy machine guns. Government sources say their next step will take them to Balad, just 30 kilometers north of the capital Mogadishu, which has been held by the Islamic movement since June.

Many Somalis have welcomed the arrival of the joint forces.

While others have reacted harshly.

Ibrahim Mo'allin Bulle, teacher in Jowhar, said, "Now we are going to defend our religion, we are going to defend our people, our unity. We don't want them to attack and enter our country."

That call was backed by African Union leaders, who are in Addis Ababa trying to resume the dialogue between Somalia's warring parties.

Professor Alpha Oumar Konare, African Union chairperson, said, "We also call for an urgent retreat of the foreign troops and elements in Somalia today. Somalia needs peace. Somalia needs dialogue. Somalia urgently needs a political solution."

The joint forces say they will besiege the Somali capital, rather than attack it. There had been mounting fears that they would use air strikes and ground troops to take their final target.

Ethiopia says its troops have killed up to one thousand Islamic fighters and wounded 3,000. But there has been no verification of the numbers.

Meanwhile the Red Cross has confirmed that at least 8,000 people have been wounded, and thousands are fleeing the combat zone in Somalia.

Editor:Du Xiaodan