Ethiopian soldiers are reported to have clashed with security forces in a local community in the country’s eastern Somali region.
Both set of troops exchanged gunshots according to Reuters reports, with some residents confirming the news.
The clashes on Saturday were as a result of attempts to arrest regional officials.
The soldiers according to Reuters report were deployed in the province’s capital Jijiga on Friday evening. That triggered the conflict who thought their job was threatened.
“We can still hear shots being fired. They have been taking place since the morning,” one resident told Reuters.
An Ethiopian Orthodox church was said to have been set ablaze by a mob, while shops, hotels and banks were closed.
Ethiopia’s Somali region has witnesses series of violent incidents for decades.
Rebels in the area launched a bid for the secession of the region, also known as Ogaden in 1984.
The government fought the rebel Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) since then.
Many people have been displaced by conflicts in the region.
Ethiopia’s Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed since coming into office has tried to restore peace to most restive areas.
Source: Africafeeds.com
