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Ethiopia pushes deeper into Somalia

Thousands of Ethiopian troops, backed by aircraft, artillery and tanks, have escalated a military offensive against fighters from the Islamic Courts Union.

The Ethiopians, backing fighters loyal to Somalia's internationally recognised - but largely powerless - interim government, captured the town of Baladweyne on Monday.

They also bombed airports to prevent the courts from rearming and moved further into courts-held territory.

Yusuf Dabo Geed, a Somali government officer, said: "We have taken control of Baladweyne and our forces are chasing the terrorists.

"We have killed more than 60 Islamists, wounded others and captured some as prisoners of war."

Baladweyne is 100km north of Baidoa, seat of the transitional government.

The offensive came after thousands of Ethiopian soldiers prevented the Islamist Courts Union from surrounding and capturing Baidoa, the only major city under government control.

Following their defeat in Baladweyne, leaders of the Islamic courts called on the Ethiopian troops to withdraw.

Sheikh Mohamed Ibrahim Bilal, a senior Islamic commander, said: "We call on the international community to act soon about this violation."

Both sides have reported killing hundreds of their opponents in the recent fighting, but the claims could not be independently confirmed.

Ethiopia bombs airports

Also on Monday, Ethiopian fighter jets bombed the airports of Mogadishu, the Islamist-held capital, and Baledogle, Somalia's largest military airfield 100km to the west.

Ibrahim Hassan Adow, the foreign secretary of the Islamic Courts Union, told Al Jazeera that the bombing of Mogadishu by Ethiopian MiG aircraft injured two people, one of whom was a cleaner.

"Ethiopian attacks against Somalia have no limits. It seems the entire world is silent about it."

Ethiopia said it bombed the airport in order to halt the supply of arms to the courts.

Solomon Abede, the Ethiopian foreign ministry spokesman, said: "It was attacked because illegal flights were attempting to land there.

"It was also reported that some of the extremists were waiting for an airlift out of Mogadishu."

In November, a UN arms-monitoring group reported that flights originating in Eritrea, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Djibouti and Syria landed in Mogadishu and Baledogle.

The UN and the Somali government said that many of the flights carried arms and military supplies for the Islamic Courts. The US has also been accused of funding and arming those fighting for the government. Agencies

Labels: Berita, Luar Negeri, Somalia