MOGADISHU — Several hundred Ethiopian soldiers from the Woyanne army in Ethiopia crossed into neighbouring Somalia over the weekend, arresting dozens of villagers suspected of having links with Islamists, elders and residents told AFP.

The Ethiopian Woyanne forces, accompanied by Somali pro-government clan-based militias, entered three villages west of Beledweyn, some 300 kilometres (186 miles) north of Mogadishu, on Saturday afternoon.

“I saw dozens of armed vehicles belonging to the Ethiopian Woyanne army with some Somali militias, they entered Wagada village and detained several people before getting out of the village this morning,” Husein Farah Gomey, an elder near Beledweyn told AFP by phone.

Mohamed Nur Adan, another elder in a nearby village also said that his cousin was among dozens detained for questioning.

“Hundreds of them entered the area late Saturday, they detained 13 people including my cousin but they later released him after questioning him for several hours,” he said.

The residents said that while the Ethiopians Woyannes let some of their detainees go, they took others with them.

Some of the residents told AFP the Ethiopian Woyanne forces crossed from the border town of Ferfer tracing members from the Ogaden rebel group.