Clashes between Ethiopian forces, al Shabaab leave scores dead -state news agency, commander

By Giulia Paravicini

ADDISABABA – Regional forces in southeast Ethiopia killed greater than 150 al Shabaab militiamen throughout fierce border clashes on Friday, the state information company and a regional commander stated, within the third spherical of preventing in 9 days.

The assaults add to the already advanced safety panorama in Ethiopia, the place the central authorities is making an attempt to place down an insurgency and calm paramilitary teams in two totally different areas, whereas beginning peace negotiations in a 3rd.

“The terrorist group regrouped its scattered forces (final evening) and tried to infiltrate into Ethiopia and perform (an) assault within the space bordering Somalia with Ethiopia,” Tesfaye Ayalew, an Ethiopian military common instructed the state information company ENA.

Al Shabaab have lengthy sought to determine a base in Ethiopia and have, lately, broadcast messages in Afaan Oromo, a language spoken in Ethiopia.

Al Shabaab confirmed the preventing, claiming that they had killed 103 Ethiopian police and occupied the city of Aato earlier on Friday.

A commander with Ethiopia’s Somali regional forces rejected that dying toll, saying solely 14 regional Ethiopian fighters have been killed.

“It’s nonetheless in our management, it’s not a query,” the commander instructed Reuters, referring to Aato.

A resident of Aato city who requested to not be recognized stated al Shabaab attacked the city with automotive bombs and mortar shells within the morning however later fled.

The commander stated federal Ethiopian forces carried out a number of air strikes, hitting 4 al Shabaab autos close to the villages of Garasley and Lagalaay on the Somali facet of the border, killing an unknown variety of militants.

An al Shabaab chief had been killed in a mortar assault, he added.

Al Shabaab controls giant swathes of Somalia and has killed tens of hundreds of individuals in bombings in its battle to overthrow the Western-backed central authorities there and impose its personal interpretation of Islamic legislation.