WASHINGTON, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- The United States reiterated on Wednesday its stand that signaled support for Ethiopia's military offensive in Somalia, saying "Ethiopia has genuine security concerns with regard to developments within Somalia."

    Ethiopia took its military operation in Somalia "at the request" of Somalia's interim government, which wants to break the stronghold of the Islamic Courts Council on southern Somalia and Mogadishu, said Gordon Johndroe, spokesman for the White House National Security Council.

    On Tuesday, the U.S. State Department defended Ethiopia's attacks on Islamists in Somalia.

    Ethiopia's offensive was intended to halt "aggressions" by the Council of Islamic Courts movement, State Department spokesman Gonzo Gallegos said, noting "We see and understand, they are facing a legitimate and genuine security concern."

    The spokesman also said that Ethiopia should "exercise maximum restraint in intervening or responding to developments in Somalia and to assure the protection of civilians."

    Since Sunday, Ethiopian troops, together with the forces of Somalia's Federal transitional Government, launched offensives on fundamentalist forces gathered in Somalia.

    Ethiopia defended its attack on Somalia's Islamists as "defensive measures against terrorist forces that attempted to infiltrate into Ethiopia to launch attacks."