Armed men and security police have clashed in the southern Ethiopian town of Moyale, which is close to the Kenyan border.
The clash occurred at the Kenyan border on Saturday evening and spilled to Sunday Morning.
It is believed that the armed men are members of the rebel group Oromo Liberation Army (OLA).
The incident is simply another sign of escalating insecurity in the country’s southern and western regions.
A humanitarian cease-fire reached by the government and Tigrayan forces has sparked hope for a conclusion to the country’s 17-month civil war.
However, conflicts between government forces including the army and the OLA have continued to be reported in Oromia, the country’s most populated area.
Col Girma Ayele, a military officer, claimed on Saturday that security forces were taking “decisive” action against the OLA in a “planned operation.”
According to the OLA, they are winning battles.
In a tweet on Monday, the group’s spokesperson, Odaa Tarbii, said that government soldiers suffered “many casualties” in a region called Malka Lammii in southern Oromia.
There are concerns that instability in a number of locations could exacerbate the country’s humanitarian difficulties.
According to the United Nations, a combination of drought, violence, and disease outbreaks might result in more than 20 million Ethiopians seeking humanitarian aid this year.
