24 people wounded in Addis Ababa mosque explosion
By Tesfa-Alem Tekle
December 11, 2015 (ADDIS ABABA) – A hand grenade attack on Friday at Ethiopia’s biggest mosque in the capital, Addis Ababa, has wounded 24 people, police told Sudan Tribune.
Among the wounded five are in serious condition.
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but officials’ said investigation is underway to determine the group behind the attack.
Ethiopia has long been a target by the al-Qaida allied al-Shabab Islamist militants, after the horn of Africa nation’s military intervention in 2006 in neighbouring Somalia to fight the radical group.
The attack comes university students from across Oromia region continue protests over federal government’s Integrated Development Plan aimed to expand the capital Addis Ababa to parts of Oromia, Ethiopia’s most populous region.
At least seven students are reportedly killed and many others injured after clashes with federal police since protests erupt last week.
Oromia regional State President Muktar Kadir told journalists that the unrest in different parts of Oromia state is the act of some “anti-peace forces”.
Meanwhile security forces in Ethiopia’s northern Gonder city detained ten members of Ginbot-7, an exiled opposition movement designated as a terrorist entity by Addis Ababa.
Government officials said the armed members of the opposition group were arrested on Wednesday at Bermariam Midmar locality.
“Three members of the group were wounded after fire exchange as they refused to surrender” said Worku Hailemariam, head of North Gondar Zone Administration and Security Department adding “The remaining members have surrendered to security forces”.
According to Hailemariam, they were held along with several flyers prepared by the group.
He alleged that the armed men were deployed by arch-rival Eritrea to carryout terrorist attacks on the public and government development institutions.
(ST)