MOGADISHU, Somalia Sep 7 (Garowe Online) - A group of soldiers formerly loyal to the allied governments of Somalia and Ethiopia have reportedly switched sides and "surrendered" over to militants leading the insurgency, Radio Garowe reported Sunday.

Abdirahim Isse Addow, a spokesman for the Islamic Courts movement, said seven Somali soldiers and one Ethiopian military officer said the Islamists would welcome the defecting soldiers.

Soldiers and insurgents/GO

"The Ethiopian officer told us he is Christian, but we will protect him...and introduce him to Islam," said Addow, who was present when the soldiers were shown to local media.

A soldier who spoke for the defecting Somali troops said they were all trained in Ethiopia and deployed at the ex-pasta factory, in north Mogadishu.

The Ethiopian officer, who spoke in the Amharic language, said he is "worried" about his family in Ethiopia, fearing that the Meles Zenawi government might harm them as punishment for his defection.

Somali government officials declined to respond to the defections when Garowe Online contacted them for comment.

Source: Garowe Online