Security forces in Ethiopia’s Oromia regional state have killed a large number of Oromo

Security forces in Ethiopia’s Oromia regional state have killed a large number of Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) rebel members, the Government Communication Service announced.

In a statement on Saturday, the Minister of State Communications, Legesse Tulu, said an anti-insurgency operation is underway to eliminate the OLA, which the government declared a terrorist group.

Many “members of the militant group have been killed in the operation,” he said, without revealing the exact number of casualties.

The minister said the military campaign is being carried out in the western and eastern parts of Welega, western and eastern Guji, north, east and west of Shoa, as well as in Borona zone bordering Kenya.

An Oromo opposition official, who spoke to The EastAfrican, confirmed that there is an ongoing military operation in parts of Oromia region.

“The Ethiopian army is carrying out drone strikes to conduct targeted killings in many areas,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

“However, several innocent civilians are also victims of the ongoing warfare.”

A few days ago, an Oromo opposition political party, the Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC), said in a statement that a “secret war” was taking place in the Oromia region and many civilians had been killed.

The party called for an independent international inquiry into the alleged “mass killings”.