Somalia troops, Islamists clash

DINSOOR, Somalia, Dec. 8 (UPI) -- Somali government fighters, reportedly backed by Ethiopian troops, have attacked Islamist positions in southern Somalia, reports say.

Fighting was reported heavy in Dinsoor, 70 miles southwest of the government base at Baidoa, the BBC said Friday.

The attack came two days after the U.N. approved plans to send peacekeepers to Somalia, a move the Islamists reject.