Heavy combat between ONLF insurgents and Ethiopian forces

October 23, 2012 (Raxanreeb)—Dhagahbur (RBC) Heavy battle between the insurgents of Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) and the Ethiopian forces has reportedly erupted at Wacays godle at the vicinity of Dhagahbur district of Western Somalia region under the Ethiopian administration.

The battle broke out after the insurgents loyal to ONLF have on Sunday ambushed a military convoy of the Ethiopian army who wear heading to Dhagahbur town killing dozen of soldiers, eyewitnesses told RBC Radio.The ambush fighting followed by another fierce clashes between the two sides.

Both the Ethiopian fierce and the ONLF officials did not give the facts of the fighting.

Meanwhile reports from Dhagahbur district say that the Ethiopian forces launched massive arrest in the town following the ONLF insurgents assault which led to the arrest of more than 50 civilians among them young women and old men.  The mass arrest also spread to other locations including Dhagah-madow town which is few kilometers away from Dhagahbur.

The situation of the two towns were still in chaos as the Ethiopian forces imposed day and night curfew banning the movement of the people and the cars coming into the the region.  Some of the families who have escaped from the homes are still on hideout in the fear of revenge acts from the Addis Ababa government forces.

The tensions between the ONLF insurgents and the Ethiopian forces broke out just a week after the two sides failed to reach a peace deal from long awaited talks mediated by the neighboring Kenya.

The talks occurred after armed insurgents indicated they wanted to negotiate peacefully with Ethiopia but later withdrew from the talks alleging that Addis Ababa administration has put hard conditions on the table of the negotiations.

ONLF, an ethnic Somali armed opposition has been battling since 1984 to liberate the western Somali region from Addis Ababa invasion.
Raxanreeb