Somali Islamists strike at departing Ethiopians

MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Islamist insurgents fired mortars at Mogadishu's presidential palace and ambushed departing Ethiopian soldiers on Wednesday, underlining fears of more bloodshed in Somalia after Addis Ababa's pullout.
Witnesses said security forces including African Union (AU) peacekeepers guarding the hill-top palace compound in the coastal capital responded with their own volleys of artillery shells, shaking the city for several hours.
Then suspected militants from the al Shabaab group ambushed an Ethiopian convoy, taking departing soldiers, on a street not far from the palace. The Ethiopians fought back with a tank.
Some analysts say the ongoing withdrawal of some 3,000 Ethiopian soldiers will leave a vacuum, triggering more violence by rebels who have battled the U.N.-backed administration for two years, and are now increasingly fighting each other.more...http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE50D0JS20090114