The government is getting military help from Ethiopia

A deadline from Islamists for Ethiopia to withdraw troops from Somalia or face "major attacks" expired on Tuesday.

Residents say pro-government forces and the Islamic militia exchanged mortar shells at Daynunay, 20km from Baidoa.

A European Union envoy was in Baidoa to meet officials. There are fears an all-out war would plunge the entire Horn of Africa region into crisis.

The EU's development commissioner, Louis Michel, has now travelled on to the capital, Mogadishu, to meet Union of Islamic Court (UIC) leaders on a mission to get peace talks to resume.

He told the BBC that they were faced with a very serious problem.

"Everybody knows that we are not very far from an open, violent conflict with... war," he said.

Clashes

"I can confirm to you that heavy fighting has already started around several front line areas," Islamic commander Sheikh Mohamed Ibrahim Bilal told AFP news agency.

Government commander Ibrahim Batari accused the Islamists of mounting the attack. "There is shelling everywhere... our forces are facing Islamists, hell is going on," he said.

Islamic militias have attacked us and the fighting is continuing   Salad Ali Jelle Deputy defence minister   Q&A: Islamist advance Peacekeeping conundrum

"I can hear sounds of bullets, rockets from the side where the defence lines of the Islamic courts and the government are," a resident in the government's military base in Daynunay, southeast of Baidoa, told Reuters news agency.

Islamist spokesman Abdirahin Ali Mudey says the base is now in UIC hands, which residents talking to the BBC confirm.

Meanwhile, clashes have broken out in Moode Moode - a village off the Daynunay-Burhakaba road.

"Islamic militias have attacked us and the fighting is continuing," the government's deputy defence minister, Salad Ali Jelle, told Associated Press news agency about the Moode Moode fighting.

There is also heavy fighting and at least one death being reported near Idale, some 60km (37 miles) south Baidoa, after skirmishes on Tuesday evening.

"Last evening, a reconnaissance team from the government and the Islamic courts clashed [in Idale]," Mr Jelle told Reuters on Wednesday.

"But this morning, ground troops from both sides exchanged mortars from a distance."

'Nervous troops'

In Baidoa, Mr Michel spoke to senior government figures pressing the need for negotiations to start between the two sides.

We don't have troops in Somalia, but as we have said so many times, we have a limited number of military advisers   Birhan Hailu Ethiopia's information minister

The Islamists have refused to negotiate with the transitional government until the Ethiopian troops leave Somalia. Ethiopian Information Minister Birhan Hailu told the BBC on Tuesday that his country was always ready for dialogue, but said the Islamists were not willing to talk with the transitional government.

"We don't have troops in Somalia, but as we have said so many times, we have a limited number of military advisers to support the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia.

But the BBC's Adam Mynott says that as he drove to the airport in Baidoa, he was stopped by a huge convoy of Ethiopian military armour.

There were about 10 large artillery cannons, several vehicles - clearly marked with Ethiopian insignia - loaded with ammunition and many hundreds of soldiers.

Louis Michel is pressing both sides to negotiate

He was detained for about an hour by Ethiopian soldiers who appeared on edge and very nervous. Mr Michel's car was not stopped.

Earlier this week, the UIC appeared to backtrack on an ultimatum for Ethiopians troops to leave Somalia or face a holy war.

UIC spokesman Abdi-Rahiin Ali Mudey said the Islamists would not attack the Ethiopians or Baidoa, but wanted talks.

But other Islamist officials were being reported on Tuesday as saying they are "now in the last stages of preparing for full-scale war" against Ethiopian forces inside Somalia.

Idi:
Singer