Ethiopian Woyanne troops opened fire on a group of people in the central Somali town of Beledwyne, along the border with Ethiopia, killing three civilians.
The episode apparently occurred a day after an attack on an Ethiopian a Woyanne military patrol left one soldier dead.
The local press today reports that the soldiers combed the neighbourhood of the ambush, shooting in the air and at homes, generating panic among the residents. At least four people were killed and two wounded yesterday in the outskirts of Afgoye, in the Lower Shabelle region, after an armed commando attacked the Laanta Buro military base.
According to witnesses, the soldiers at the base responded to the shelling in fighting that left several victims, including at least two civilians.
It is not the first time that Somali residents denounce retaliation on civilians by Ethiopian Woyanne and Somali troops, engaged in repressing anti-government insurgents.
According to humanitarian groups, over 6,000 civilians have died in clashes just in the past year.
Source: Missionary International Service News Agency (MISNA)