Somalia
Military tensions rise as Ethiopia deploys troops into Hiran
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Dec 9, 2008 - 11:39:38 AM

BELETWEIN, Somalia Dec 9 (Garowe Online) - Ethiopian troops have reportedly amassed near the Somali-Ethiopian border, rising military tensions in Hiran and Galgadud regions, Radio Garowe reported Tuesday.

An Ethiopian army convoy of 20 military trucks has reportedly reached a village 30km northwest of Beletwein, the capital of Hiran region.

Beletwein is a major population center and has been under the control of the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) in recent months.

Residents said ICU militia had set up defensive positions early Tuesday morning around Beletwein, with locals apprehensive about a possible Ethiopian incursion.

Sheikh Abdirahman Ibrahim Ma'ow, the ICU chief in Hiran, confirmed to RG that the Islamist fighters in the region were deployed at strategic defensive positions.

Conflicting reports have emerged about the Ethiopian army buildup in Hiran, with some reports suggesting that the Ethiopian garrison is planning to block a possible Al Shabaab retreat from Galgadud region.

Al Shabaab fighters seized the region's capital and a trading down last week, but a fresh convoy of Ethiopian troops arrived in Galgadud on Monday and locals fear military hostilities could erupt in the region any moment. READ: Ethiopia deploys fresh troops to Galgadud

The Ethiopian government has announced plans to withdraw its troops from Somalia soon, but continued territorial gains by the Islamist Al Shabaab faction in the central regions is seen as a growing threat.

Source: Garowe Online