Benishangul-Gumuz governor Ashadli Hassen said 37 people were killed in a pre-dawn attack on villages in Metakal zone. He told the Associated Press the assault came on Sunday after Saturday’s failed bid to oust Amhara’s regional government. Eighteen others were wounded, he said.
Ashadli said armed men believed to be followers of the Amhara coup organiser crossed from Amhara, struck, and returned. Benishangul-Gumuz borders Amhara. Separate reporting also cited regional security officials speaking of high death tolls in Metakal around the same days.
An internet shutdown stayed in force after the wider weekend violence, which included the killing of the army chief in Addis Ababa. The Metakal attack showed how quickly the Amhara crisis bled into a neighbouring region. Authorities said the Amhara organiser, Brig. Gen. Asaminew Tsige, was later killed in a firefight.
Sources: Associated Press, Devdiscourse / PTI