US Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, Jendayi Frazer (L) and UN special envoy to Somalia Francois Fall. The United States believes that Somali Islamists who had, until recently, been running parts of the country, are regrouping in Saudi Arabia and Eritrea, Frazer said in an interview with the Financial Times.(AFP/File/Simon Maina)

Brig.-General Hadish Ephrem, commander of the 18th Division, and three other senior Eritrean army colonels were captured after their defeat at the Somali Port of Kismayo and fled toward the Kenyan border that was being patrolled by Ethiopian, US and Kenyan forces who were on the watchout for the leaders of the Islamist fighters, www.asmarino.com reported quoting a little known Eritrean group based in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa.

According to an information obtained from the Eritrean People's Movement, the website reported that the general was known for his ruthless actions - including killings - of Eritrean national servicemen who had reported late to their army units after overstaying their vacations.

The Eritrean army officers captured include Col. Wodi Yohannes, Col. Tesfalem Beyene, and Col. Mohamed Toom.

After their defeat at Kismayo, the following Eritreans also made up the list of disappearances: Battalion commander (36th Division) Samson Yemane, Eritrean Air Force member Tekie Fedega, and Yirgalem Yabyo, commander of the 36 Division. Several Eritrean troops are reportedly in very difficult conditions in the remote part of southeastern Somalia. The report by the Eritrean opposition website has not been confirmed by independent sources.

Jendayi Frazer, the US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs said in an interview with the Financial Times that the defeated Islamists were regrouping in Saudi Arabia, Eritrea. Ethiopia on its part accused Eritrea of bomb attacks on African Union summiteers concluded last week in Addis Ababa. Eritrea dismissed the accusation as baseless.