20091221
africanews

Ethiopian troops have crossed back into Somalia, witnesses in strategic town of Beledweyn and Balanbale in central Somalia said. Ethiopian troops return comes as Islamist rebel group, Hisbul Islam, which controlling towns near at the border of Somalia and Ethiopia started operation in the area.
Ethiopian troops Photo: Mohammed Odowa
Residents in Beledweyn told AfricaNews that they saw convey of Ethiopian troops digging trenches in Kalabeyr, a town 22Km (14 miles) from the Somali border and Ethiopia. They said Ethiopian forces left the border town of Ferfer in Ethiopia and entered to Kalabeyr which links central and south regions.

Reports say former Somali government officials in the region are coming with Ethiopian troops. Ethiopian officials could not be reached for comment about the reports but Ethiopia denies frequently that its troops re-entered Somalia.

Ethiopian military crossing into Somalia have started to check and search vehicles moving in the area. Beledweyn resident Amino Ali told AfricaNews by phone that "They have crossed the border early on Saturday and they are in Kalabeyr now."

Another residents in Balanbale, a town on the Ethiopian border in Somalia's Galgadud region said that more than nine Ethiopian military cars have entered the town.

Residents said that Ethiopian troops have searched houses in the town.

Ethiopia entered Somalia in 2006 to help oust Islamist forces from the capital Mogadishu but withdrew under a UN-backed peace deal.

Ethiopia already made it clear that did still reserve the right to intervene in Somalia if its interests were directly threatened. Somali government has not commented about this.