Ethiopian forces battle Islamists at Mogadishu doorstep

Mogadishu: Ethiopia said yesterday it was halfway to victory against Somali Islamists and could seize their Mogadishu stronghold within days following a week of war in the Horn of Africa.

Islamists countered that they were ready for a long war and any attempt to oust them would prove disastrous for their foes. The Red Cross said hundreds were wounded in the latest fighting.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said his forces supporting Somalia's weak interim government had killed up to 1,000 Islamist fighters. The Islamists also claim to have killed hundreds.

Somalia's envoy to Addis Ababa said Ethiopian soldiers had advanced to within 70km of Mogadishu and could capture it in 24-48 hours. The clashes have already uprooted thousands of people in the central and southern part of the country.