SOMALIA'S ISLAMIST MILITIA BRIEFLY FOUGHT GOVERNMENT FORCES ON SATURDAY -- THE FIRST CLASH BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES AND ONE THAT MANY SOMALIS FEAR MAY SIGNAL A SLIDE TO WAR IN THE HORN OF AFRICA COUNTRY. GOVERNMENT MILITIA SEIZED AND SET ON FIRE TWO "TECHNICALS" -- HEAVILY ARMED PICKUP TRUCKS THAT ARE SOMALIA'S VERSION OF TANKS -- IN FIGHTING IN THE REMOTE QORYOOLEY DISTRICT, AN ISLAMIST SOURCE TOLD REUTERS. THERE WAS NO WORD ON ANY CASUALTIES IN THE CLASH, THE FIRST SINCE ISLAMISTS CAPTURED MOGADISHU FROM WARLORDS ON JUNE 5, CHALLENGING THE SLIM AUTHORITY OF PRESIDENT ABDULLAHI YUSUF'S WESTERN-BACKED GOVERNMENT. WITNESSES SAID GOVERNMENT FORCES BROUGHT ONE OF THE ISLAMISTS' BATTLEWAGONS BACK TO BAIDOA, THE GOVERNMENT'S PROVINCIAL BASE, BOLSTERED BY THE REPORTED DEPLOYMENT OF ETHIOPIAN TROOPS ACROSS THE BORDER IN RECENT DAYS.
