Three blasts hit Ethiopian town, no casualties

July 31, 2006 (ADDIS ABABA) — Three explosions in Dire Dawa, a railway town in eastern Ethiopia, on Monday caused minor damage but no injuries, a police official said.

Police had arrested one person suspected of involvement and an investigation was continuing.

“The explosions at the outer fence of a ticket office, a post office and underneath a bridge spanning the town caused minor damage to property and there were no casualties,” police inspector Benyam Fikru told Reuters by telephone.

“Police suspect that these explosions were the work of terrorists aimed at destroying public utilities and attempting to disrupt the peace of the country,” he added.

Dire Dawa lies 525km east of Addis Ababa on the main railroad connecting the capital with the port of Djibouti.

While such explosions are relatively rare in Ethiopia, Addis Ababa this year has been hit by several mysterious blasts.

Ethiopia has blamed neighbouring Eritrea and various rebel groups for attacks in the past.

(Reuters)