JOWHAR (Somalia), June 17: About 300 Ethiopian troops crossed into Somalia on Saturday, a top Islamist said, after fighters who wrested control of Mogadishu moved inland toward the seat of Somalia’s interim government.

Ethiopia immediately denied sending soldiers in but warned the Islamists not to cross the border, where, according to observers, Ethiopia has been massing soldiers for days.

Somalia’s interim President Abdullahi Yusuf, a former warlord, is closely allied with Addis Ababa, which was instrumental in his election after peace talks in Kenya in 2004.

“There are Ethiopian troops just past the border and coming in. Ethiopia is on an offensive passing our borders and bringing war to us. They are backing the (interim government),” Islamic Courts Union Chairman Sharif Sheikh Ahmed told reporters, referring to an incursion in Dollow, in southwestern Somalia. Ethiopia denied entering Somalia.

“Ethiopia has not crossed the border. So far, the fundamentalists have occupied Baladwayne and are marching towards the Ethiopian border,” Ethiopian minister Bereket Simon said. “Ethiopia hopes that they will not cross.”

Ahmed said troops had been crossing in and out further north in Mudug region and the Hiran region, where Baladwayne is. Bereket declined to say if troops were on the border.

Dollow is at the intersection of the Kenyan, Ethiopian and Somali borders and on the road to Baidoa, where Somalia’s weak interim government is based and has been increasingly surrounded by the Islamist militias.

Local officials there said about 50 armoured vehicles with Ethiopian soldiers had passed Dollow and 50kms further in at Luuq. There were conflicting reports on whether they were heading to Baidoa or Jowhar.—Reuters