BAIDOA, Somalia - Forces loyal to Somalia’s powerful Islamists clashed on Wednesday with government troops backed by Ethiopian forces, two hours after a deadline expired for Addis Ababa to withdraw its troops or face major attacks. The clashes occurred at the Idale trading post, about 60 km south of the seat of government in Baidoa, located 250 km northwest of the capital Mogadishu.“Islamic forces have clashed with the government troops in the Idale region,” said Mohamed Abdullahi, resident of the region told AFP. “There have been casualties, but I cannot say how many,” he added.
Officials in the defence ministry confirmed the clashes in the southern region, but could not provide a casualty figure. "There have been clashes in Idale,” said the official in the defence ministry.