Somalia's powerful religious group on Monday declared holy war against Horn of Africa rival Ethiopia, which they accused of invading Somalia to help the government briefly seize a town controlled by pro fighters.
Both sides confirmed the take-over of Buur Hakaba, the first military counter-strike by President Abdullahi Yusuf's interim government since the religious group took Mogadishu in June and went on to grab much of Somalia's south.
"Starting from today, we have declared jihad against Ethiopia," group's leader Sheikh Sharif Ahmed told a news conference, wearing combat fatigues and clutching an AK-47 assault rifle.
Ahmed, usually viewed as a more moderate voice among the members, appeared angry as he addressed reporters. "Heavily armed Ethiopian troops have invaded Somalia. They have captured Buur Hakaba. History shows that Somalis always win when they are attacked from outside," he said.
Ethiopian Foreign Affairs ministry spokesman Ambassador Solomon Abebe dismissed the comments as saying it is group's "usual propaganda aimed at deceiving the international community".
"Ethiopia wishes to live in peace and good neighbourly relations with a united and peaceful Somali republic. It has no other ulterior motives," Solomon said. Somali government officials were not available for comment.
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