Somalia ? About 100 Ethiopian troops crossed the border into Somalia on Saturday, witnesses said, the latest sign that Ethiopia might try to bolster this country’s weak interim government as an Islamic militia gains power.

The troops entered the border town of Beled-Hawo in eight military vehicles, Husein Ali Burale, a well-known traditional elder, told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. Several other witnesses also confirmed the report.

“The commander of the troops asked the people of the town to show calm and not worry about their presence,” said Ali Mohamed Siyad, a resident of Beled-Hawo. Attempts to reach Ethiopian officials were not immediately successful.

Thousands of Somalis have taken to the streets in recent weeks to denounce alleged interference by Ethiopia, their longtime enemy. The Islamic militia said last month that 300 Ethiopian soldiers had entered the country.

But the president of Somalia’s secular interim government, Abdullahi Yusuf, is allied with Ethiopia and has asked for its support.