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Somalia: Heavy fighting between Ethiopian troops, Islamists claim 23 lives Fri. May 09, 2008 07:21 am.- By Bonny Apunyu. - (SomaliNet) At least 23 have died after a heavy fighting between Ethiopian troops and Islamist insurgents in central Somalia, witnesses and officials said on Thursday. According to the witnesses, the fighting broke out late on Wednesday near the village of Garsani, some 300 kilometres north of Mogadishu, when insurgents ambushed an Ethiopian military convoy. At least 13 civilians and eight Ethiopian soldiers had been killed in the fighting, while the insurgents admitted to losing two fighters in the battle, several witnesses said. "The fighting was so heavy and our holy warriors with the help of Allah won a huge victory," Sheikh Abdirahin Ise, an Islamist spokesman said. "In return they (Ethiopians) killed pastoralists who were near the fighting zone," he added. "I have counted bodies of 13 civilians, including four children," said Ibrahim Adan Moalim, a local resident. The Islamists promised to avenge the killing of Hashi Aden Ayro - a senior Islamist leader accused of being Al-Qaeda's pointman in Somalia - in a US airstrike last week. Ethiopian troops entered Somalia in late 2006 to rescue an embattled transitional government and defeated an Islamist militia which had taken control of large parts of Somalia. The remnants of the militia have since waged a deadly guerrilla battle against government forces, its Ethiopian allies and African Union peacekeepers, mainly in Mogadishu. - Sapa-AFP News Category: Somalia Latest Headlines Latest News Sudan cuts ties with Chad accusing Chad of back... Sudan: First VP condemns rebel attack on capit... Sudan: Authorities arrest prominent Islamist le... Sudan: JEM rebel leader makes first media state... Zimbabwe is now under military rule- says former hom... Premier League: Manchester United are Champions Somalia: 7 civilians killed as militia ambush gov’t... Nigeria: Three Chinese construction workers kidnappe... Zimbabwe: Police arrests over 50 opposition activist... Nigeria's security services on high alert over al-Qa... More News...