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Three people were killed when an abandoned bomb exploded in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa on Sunday, a state news agency reported.
The incident occurred in the Lideta area near the center of the capital, the Ethiopian News Agency reported, adding that the blast killed three homeless people and injured five others. The blast occurred amid a six-week conflict in the northern Tigray region between federal forces and a rebel force there, but there was no indication it was related to that.
“An investigation into the blast is underway and the public will be informed once the investigation is complete,” the agency reported. There have been several small bomb explosions in Addis Ababa since Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government launched an offensive against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), the former rebel rulers in Tigray, on November 4.
Federal police have blamed TPLF for some of the blasts, but have not provided evidence to back up their claims. The Ethiopian government captured Mekelle, the capital of Tigray, on November 28. The TPLF leaders, possibly hiding in the surrounding mountains since then, had said they were fighting back. Reuters has been unable to reach them for comment for more than a week.
