Ethiopia: Gunmen kill 19 in attack on passenger bus

By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

March 14, 2012 (ADDIS ABABA) – In an ambush upon a bus in Gambella, western Ethiopia on Monday, 19 passengers were killed and eight were injured.

The armed men also kidnapped five female passengers in the ambush on the outskirts of Gambella town, the regional government announced on Tuesday.

No one has been arrested or claimed responsibility for the attack, but the regional president, Omod Obang Olum, said it could have been perpetrated by rebels.

Olum said security forces have been dispatched to the area to hunt down the attackers and rescue the hostages.

The Gambella region, which borders South Sudan, has a history of tribal conflicts over natural resources. It is currently facing an influx refugees fleeing tribal clashes in Jonglei state of South Sudan.

(ST)