At least 50 militants have been killed after the Ethiopian government security forces and Amhara militia clashed in the restive Amhara region, the country’s army has said.
The clashes, primarily concentrated in the historic city of Gondar, have ignited concerns about the region's stability, which is located in the northern part of Ethiopia, approximately 700 kilometres north of the nation's capital Addis Ababa.
In a statement on Facebook on Monday, the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) confirmed the violent clashes that mostly happened on Sunday, claiming that security forces successfully repelled the FANO militia attacks, resulting in the deaths of more than 50 militants.
FANO (Amhara National Movement), a militia group operating in the Amhara region and comprising members of the Amhara ethnic group, has gained attention for its political and armed activities.
'Captured dozens of soldiers'
The Amhara militia, in a statement released on its social media channels, on Monday claimed that it had captured dozens of soldiers.
Clashes in the region started in April when the federal government issued an integration order aimed at merging security forces from Ethiopia's 11 regions into the federal forces.
Local communities resisted the move, expressing fears of losing autonomy and voicing distrust towards outsiders handling security matters in their region.
