Residents say attack on town square in Finote Selam targeted ethnic Fano militia but civilians were also hit
An airstrike on a busy town square in Ethiopia’s Amhara region has killed at least 26 people, in the latest instance of violence in Ethiopia’s second-biggest state, where militia have been fighting the army.
The attack occurred in the early hours of Sunday morning in Finote Selam, a town in Amhara’s West Gojjam zone, a local doctor told the Guardian.
It is not clear how many of the victims are civilians. Residents said the attack targeted members of the Fano ethnic militia who had gathered in the town centre, but added that several bystanders were also hit.
Hospital officials told the Guardian that 26 people had died and at least 50 others were wounded, making the attack one of the deadliest single episodes since violence erupted across Amhara in early August.
Fano militia have seized control of several towns across Amhara, raising fears of another war in northern Ethiopia, just nine months after a ceasefire ended a brutal two-year conflict in the neighbouring Tigray region.
The militia sprung inmates from prison, trashed government offices and looted weapons from police stations. The government responded by declaring a state of emergency and turning off the internet.
