Islamic militants with alleged links to al-Qaida looted two United Nations compounds in southern Somalia and said they would ban three UN agencies from operating in areas they controlled.

Ethiopian and Somali government troops today entered the strategic city of Jowhar, the last major town on the northern road to the capital, routing Islamic militiamen and forcing them to retreat.

Gunmen threw grenades and a land mine exploded near the convoy of Somali Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi, killing three bodyguards and wounding five others, residents said.

Militias led by two MPs in Somalia’s parliament fought for control of a major southwestern trading centre today, killing at least 15 people.