Somali gunman kills two Ethiopians after takeover

MOGADISHU, Jan 2 (Reuters) A Somali gunman shot dead two Ethiopian soldiers today a day after they rolled into the Islamists' last front-line at Jilib town, locals said.

''A man ambushed the Ethiopians in Jilib twice today. He first attacked them at dawn and injured three Ethiopian troops and again later in the day killing two,'' said a resident of Jilib, just north of Kismayu port.

Ethiopian forces shot the gunman dead, killing two other Somalis later in the day, said the resident, who asked not to be named.

He said Ethiopian troops were searching houses in the area for weapons.

After nearly two weeks of war, the Islamists fled their last stronghold Kismayu yesterday in the face of an advancing force of Somali troops, backed up by Ethiopian soldiers.

Ethiopian planes, tanks and troops helped the Somali interim government drive out the Islamists from Mogadishu last week, breaking free from its provincial outpost Baidoa to end six months of Islamist rule across much of southern Somalia.

REUTERS KR VC2302