Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
Voice of America is funded by the US Federal Government and content it
exclusively produces is in the public domain.

Fighting Continues Between Islamists, Pro-Government Troops in
--------------------------------------------------------------
Southern Somalia
----------------

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=15721C4:A6F02AD83191E160EF18D1C81A883CF79574F7DCC14957C0 Witnesses say
Ethiopian tanks rolled to battle front Friday, as two sides pounded
each other with artillery and rockets



" hspace=2
src="/english/images/ap_somalia_soldier_baidoa_22dec06_eng_195.jpg"
width=210 vspace=2 border=0>

A Somali government soldier guards a path in Moode Moode a town nine
miles from the government garrison town of Baidoai, Dec 22,
2006Fighting between Ethiopia-backed government troops and Islamist
forces continued Friday in southern Somalia.

Witnesses say Ethiopian tanks rolled to the battle front Friday, as
the two sides pounded each other with artillery and rockets.

It was not immediately clear if the tanks were involved in the
fighting. If confirmed, it would mark an escalation in the violence,
now in its fourth day.

Militia and Somali government forces have been exchanging rocket and
artillery fire at three separate locations near Baidoa, where the
Ethiopian-backed secular government is headquartered.

Both sides claim to have inflicted heavy casualties on the other. The
Islamists say their forces killed an Ethiopian colonel and more than
60 of his troops.

Ethiopia has sent an undetermined number of soldiers to help the
interim government.

The Islamists had promised to attack Ethiopian troops this week if
they did not leave Somali territory.

Diplomats fear the fighting could trigger a wider conflict in the Horn
of Africa involving Ethiopia's neighbor and rival, Eritrea, which
backs the Islamists.

Somalia has not had an effective central government since 1991, when
warlords overthrew the last president.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.


.