4 killed in Bomb explosion in Ethiopia’s Gigiga town

By Tesfa-alem Tekle

September 28, 2008 (GIGIGA) — A road side bomb which went off earlier this morning in the south eastern historic town of Gigiga killed at least 4 people and wounded 10 more. The federal police said.

“Around 10 o’clock this morning, a roadside Bomb that went off at Gigiga’s kebelle 10 (sub town 10),near a taxi station immediately killed 3 people and one more died after it arrives in hospital” reached by phone, Federal police spokes person, commander Demsash Hailu said

“Other 10 people are also wounded lightly and seriously,” he added.

“After a tip from residents, police has taken one suspect into custody” Demsash said adding “police is under firm investigation to hunt down the responsible ones”

Jijiga is the capital of the arid, Somali region of south-eastern Ethiopia, bordering on Somalia and Kenya.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

However, the Ethiopian official held the Ogaden National liberation Front (ONLF) responsible for the attack. ONLF rebels immediately rejected it saying the group has nothing to do with it.

ONLF was formed in 1984 in ethnical Somali region on Ethiopia’s border with Somalia. Its aims have varied between full-scale independence to joining a “Greater Somalia” to more autonomy within Ethiopia for a region it says is neglected.

Addis Ababa used to accuse its Horn of Africa foe Eritrea of supporting the Ogaden rebels and hold them responsible for a number of attacks.

ONLF attack on a Chinese-run oil field in April 2007 has killed 74 people including a number of Chinese workers.

(ST)