10 Dead As Somali Islamists Ambush Ethiopian Troops

Heavy fighting claimed 10 lives after Islamist insurgents intermittently ambushed Ethiopian troops traveling along a road in Southern Somalia. Eyewitnesses in the Lower Shabelle region say fierce bombing and exchange of gunfire between the two antagonists killed several combatants alongside some civilians who were inadvertently caught in the line of fire. Unconfirmed reports also say an Ethiopian army truck hit a landmine and exploded in Burhakaba as the insurgents appeared to intensify their guerrilla campaign against the interim Somali government and its backing Ethiopian troops.[PE]