ADDIS ABABA: June 3 (Ethiopian Informer) – Armed attack in Ethiopia’s Benishangul Gumuz regional state, located in the western part of the country has left five people dead, regional state-run Amhara Mass Media Agency (AMMA) reported on Monday.
The attack on Sunday afternoon targeted civilians who were traveling aboard a truck crossing to the neighboring Amhara regional state, eventually leaving five people dead while four others sustained physical injuries, according to the report.
Local officials labeled the armed attack as an act of robbery, and ruled out any sort of political motive behind the deadly attack.
The border area along Benishangul Gumuz and Amhara regional states have been the scenes of violent ethnic clashes in recent weeks, involving ethnic Amharas and Gumuz . A recent similar incident last month had left at least 31 people dead, according to official figures.
On Friday, the Ethiopia Ministry of Peace announced the arrest of 69 people, including eight officials, by security forces due to an alleged involvement in recent deadly violence along the border areas of Benishangul Gumuz and Amhara regional states.