Amhara Police Claims TPLF Behind Planned Terror Attack in Gondar
January 25, 2020 (Ezega.com) -- The Amhara regional government of Ethiopia said it has foiled planned terror attacks and assassinations against high-level government officials and foreign tourists at the Epiphany or Timket celebrations in Gondar city of northern Ethiopia.
The Amhara Leyu (Special) force accused the Tigray police commission and by extension Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF) of organizing and sending two terror groups to carry out the planned attacks during this year Epiphany celebrations which attracted an estimated 1.5 million people.
“The suspects were given three missions from Tigray police commission. The first was to recruit collaborators; second to ruin the grand Epiphany celebration, and the third to carry out attacks on government officials and foreign tourists, Getachew Berele, commander of the Amhara Special Police told local media.
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“Three days ahead of the Epiphany celebrations, two terror groups were apprehended. The first group, comprised of two individuals, was arrested by the joint operations of the Ethiopian National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) and the National Defence Forces, Getachew said.
“All the three members of the second terror group were arrested by the Amhara Special police force in collaborations with members of the defense forces. Both groups were apprehended the same day and the members of the two terror groups do not know each other even though they had the same mission,” he said
Asked if the Amhara special police have had adequate evidence if the Tigray Police Commission had organized the planned attacks, Getachew said the suspects were caught red-handed while receiving money transferred from the Tigray state. They were also apprehended along with their weapons and grenades and they said they were armed by the Tigray police.
The commander is confident that the planned attack was orchestrated by the Tigray Police Commission upon the order of the Tigrayan People Liberation Front (TPLF).
“There are some groups in Tigray state who want to destabilize other parts of Ethiopia with the prime target being the Amara region. We never blame the Tigray people but TPLF,” Getachew added.
A week ago, NISS in a statement said two groups of destructive forces were arrested while they were plotting to carry out attacks during Epiphany or Timket celebration in the city of Gondar, Amhara regional state of northern Ethiopia
Members of the groups were planning to carry out the attacks using explosives. Four hand grenades and 200 bullets were seized, the statement noted.
They were arrested by the joint operation of NISS, the National Defence army, and the regional state’s security force, in partnership with the community.
Despite the claims, neither the Amhara regional government nor the NISS has presented concrete evidence showing that the TPLF or the Tigray regional government has anything to do with the arrested individuals or they had planned terror attacks against the Amhara state. It must be noted that previous accusations of such plots did not pan out as first reported, including the Meskel Square bombing as well as the death by suicide of Engineer Simegnew Bekele.
What is clear is that this shows the escalating tensions between the regional government in Tigray and the governments in Amhara state as well as in Addis Ababa.
Some observers fear the escalating tension between the two northern states, if unchecked, can turn deadly, with profound implications to the unity and stability for the rest of Ethiopia.
