Ethiopia says its forces have killed 71 Islamist fighters and leadersin Somalia in a joint operation with the Somali government.

Statemedia Friday say the joint operation was launched June 29 to stop whatit called a "planned terrorist offensive" in the Meteban and Gura'elareas.

The reports say 13 of those killed were leaders ofSomalia's Islamic Courts Union or the al-Shabab militant group. Theysay one of those killed was a Canadian colonel whose name is on a listof international terrorists.

Reuters news agency quotes SheikhAbdirahim Issa Adow, an Islamist spokesman, as saying only sevenfighters were killed and nine others wounded in the clashes. Thespokesman also denied the insurgents had a Canadian colonel in theirranks.

Ethiopian troops entered Somalia two years ago to helpthe interim government fight an Islamist movement that was threateningto take over the country.

Fighting since then has killed thousands of Somalis and displaced more than a million others.

Somalia has been continuously torn by conflict since the fall of the last stable government in 1991.

Some information for this report was provided by Reuters.