ADDIS ABABA, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Somalia's Islamist fighters -- backed by foreign troops -- have neared Ethiopia's border, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said on Thursday, vowing to attack the "jihadists" if they crossed the frontier. Meles told parliament in Addis Ababa the Somali fighters were now within 15 km (9 miles) of the remote Ethiopian border. "Such moves by the jihadists threaten our sovereignty and if these groups attempt to violate our border our defence forces will be obliged to hit back exercising the right of self-defence," he said. The prime minister said the Islamist ranks included gunmen from Indonesia, Pakistan, the Arab world and other African nations. The Islamists have strongly denied any foreign fighters are among their ranks. Somalia's Islamist fighters have made major territorial gains since June when they seized control of Mogadishu from U.S.-backed warlords. The country's interim government, confined to the provincial town of Baidoa, is allied with Ethiopia. The Islamists have accused Addis Ababa of sending its troops into Somalia to counter their advance. Witnesses and diplomats say Ethiopia has sent thousands of troops into Somalia in recent months. But Meles on Thursday again denied deploying soldiers in Somalia, repeating his comments that the only Ethiopian troops in the country were there as part of an agreed training programme with the government. "Ethiopia did not send armed forces into Somalia, except a few soldiers who are training the security forces of the transitional government, based on the decision of African Union and (regional body) IGAD," Meles said.
