Ethiopian police officer killed, 7 injured as “gift” bomb explodes

Sept 29, 2005 (ADDIS ABABA) — A police officer was killed and seven others, including two civilians, injured on Thursday after a bomb that was delivered as a parcel exploded as he was diffusing it in a suburb south of the capital Addis Ababa, officials said.

The officer was diffusing the bomb which had been sent in the guise of a present to a telecommunication manager for Addis Ababa’s Nefas Silk sururb, said police commander Mekonnen Ashagerie.

“The policeman, who was a bomb expert, was killed today and while five members of the police and two civilians were injured,” Mekonnen told reporters.

The expert was “trying to diffuse a bomb (that was) sent as a gift (and) wrapped in a gift paper inside a Nokia mobile phone box,” he added.

Mesfine Lemma, who was the target of the bomb, called police after he became suspicious when unwrapping the parcel, which had been delivered by two young men.

Mekonnen said police had launched investigations to arrest the suspects behind the attack.

(AFP/ST)