Saturday, October 25, 2008
The forces attacked Berdale township, some 310 kilometres (490 miles) southwest of the capital, sparking clashes that claimed five lives.
"Three Islamic fighters and two Somali government soldiers were killed in the fighting which took place outside the town," said Mohamed Aw Mumin, an elder in the town.
"The fighting has stopped, but both sides are still facing off," he told AFP.
Somali government officer, Colonel Abdi Moalim, said his forces took control of the town.
"We fought them fiercely... and lost two soldiers. Now we are in the town," he added.
Several other witnesses confirmed the death toll.
In the second incident, Somali forces also took control of Wajid township in southern Somalia, killing a UN security worker.
"The Somali forces opened fire on the security men at an airfield run by the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) and they wounded four persons, one of them later died for the injuries," a UN official told AFP.
"The Islamists emptied the town before the Somali government forces reached late in the afternoon without fighting, but they raided airfield and took at least 17 machineguns used by the security personnel after brief exchange of gunfire," said Hasanow Omar, a resident.
Ethiopian troops intervened to prop up the feeble Somali government at the end of 2006 and eventually drove the Islamists from much of the country's southern and central regions, where they had established Sharia law.
Since then, the Islamists have killed numerous government officials and vowed to fight until the Ethiopians, whom they regard as occupiers, withdraw.
Somalia has lacked a functional government since the 1991 ouster of president Mohamed Siad Barre touched off a bloody power struggle that has defied numerous peace initiatives.
Source: AFP, Oct 25, 2008