Islamic militants who want to govern Somalia by the Quran urged foreign Muslims on Saturday to join their war with Ethiopian troops, after four days of heavy fighting in this volatile nation that threatens to escalate into a regional conflict. "Muslims are brothers and help each other. We have a right to call our brothers and sisters to help us in this holy war," said Sheik Yusuf Indahaadde, national security chairman for the Council of Islamic Courts, which controls much of southern Somalia. The Islamic group has vowed to drive out troops from neighboring Ethiopia, a largely Christian nation that is giving military support to Somalia's U.N.-backed interim government. Ethiopia denies its troops are fighting, saying it has sent only military trainers. In Kismayo, a seaport captured from the government by Islamic militiamen in September, people reported seeing several foreign Arab fighters disembarking from ships this week.
Fighting that killed hundreds of people in recent days has intensified worries about a major conflict engulfing the Horn of Africa. Ethiopia has one of the largest armies in the region and its bitter rival, Eritrea, is supporting the Islamic militia. Instability in the region has allowed Islamic extremists to gain a foothold, U.S. officials have warned while charging that leaders of the Islamic militia in Somalia provide refuge for al-Qaida members.