Addis Ababa – The authorities in Ethiopia’s western state of Benishangul-Gumuz say they have “eliminated” a group of gunmen linked to an attack on a passenger bus.
At least 34 civilians were killed in the bus attack which happened on Saturday evening, that was carried out by unidentified gunmen in Dibate district.
According to police in the state, the 16 attackers were “messengers” of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) – the main political organisation in the country’s Tigray region.
But they did not present any evidence linking the bus attack to TPLF.
Ethiopia’s federal army is engaged in a military offensive against forces loyal to the TPLF in the northern Tigray state. The government has accused TPLF of working to destabilise the country, but the TPLF denies the accusations.
The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission has said the death toll from the bus attack could rise.
“The unrelenting pace of attacks on civilians in Benishangul-Gumuz calls for higher vigilance and a more co-ordinated action between regional and federal security force,” said the commission’s head Daniel Bekele on Sunday.
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