20100208
presstv

Heavily-armed Ethiopian vehicles have reportedly crossed into south central Somalia, seizing the family of a man with Al-Shabab links.

Witnesses said the neighboring country's troops entered the towns of El Barde and Yeed on Saturday, seeking the unidentified man, according to a Reuters report.

"They came with armored vehicles and were searching for a well-known local man who also works with Al-Shabab," Hussein Ronow, a town resident said on Sunday.

The man reportedly escaped, but his wife and three children along with his brother and his brother's family were arrested.

The head of Al-Shabab's administration in the Bakool region confirmed the incident.

"Our enemies, the Ethiopians, have entered our towns and terrified the residents. I understand they were searching for some of the residents," Sheikh Aden Yare told Reuters.

The Ethiopians troops are now positioned in the outskirts of the town.

Ethiopia sent thousands of troops into Somalia in 2006 to help topple arebel movement that controlled Mogadishu and most of the South. The move drew protests from some in the Muslim world and enraged the local fighters, who regrouped and launch a war campaign against 'the invaders.'

The Ethiopian soldiers withdrew last January but residents, local fighters and humanitarian organizations have reported several incursions in the past few months.

Meanwhile on Monday, the lawless capital of Mogadishu once again witnessed intense fighting between local fighters and pro-government forces, in a battle near the African Union bases.

Heavy explosions and the exchange of artillery fire went on throughout the night, leaving at least eight people dead and 22 others injured.

Somalia has been marred by nearly two decades of civil strife, spurring the rise of warlords, heavily armed criminal gangs and pirates who have been terrorizing shipping off its coastline.