Ethiopia's National Defense Forces (NDF) on Sunday started "taking measures to foil the attack launched against Ethiopia by fundamentalist forces gathered in Somalia, after a long patience," according to a statement from the military.

"The national Defense Forces have initially taken defensive measures against terrorist forces that attempted to infiltrate into Ethiopia to launch attacks and then extended their offensive against terrorists and other anti-Ethiopian forces in various parts of Somalia," said the statement.

The offensive was launched on terrorist positions at Buur Hakaba, Beledweyne, Bandiiradleey and Dinsoor localities in Somalia, it said.

According to reports reaching here from Somalia, witnesses said that Ethiopian fighter jets bombed several areas in central Somalia controlled by the Supreme Council of Islamic Courts (SCIC).

Fighting resumed in Somalia Thursday between fighters loyal to the transitional government and the Islamic courts despite a truce which was secured by an EU envoy.

The SCIC has vowed to drive out troops from neighboring Ethiopia, which is providing military support to Somalia's transitional government.

Somalia has been lacking an effective administration since the 1991 ouster of former ruler Mohamed Siad Barre.

Source: Xinhua