Addis Abeba — Alebes Adefrash, head of Efratana Gidem district in the Amhara region's North Shewa Zone, was killed in a late-night attack on Saturday by an "extremist militant," according to a district administration condolence message.

The message specifies that Alebes was "killed by extremists" while at his residence.

Alebes' murder is the latest in a string of high-profile attacks targeting Amhara region officials.

The governor of Lasta district in the Amhara region, Getachew Mellise, and the head of the district health office, Million Afewarqi, were killed in an attack on 01 May, 2024, the BBC reported, citing residents.

These government officials were shot dead near Lalibala, the capital of Lasta, as they were returning from a meeting in Waldiya, the capital of North Wallo, a source close to the district governor said. Apart from the government officials, one other individual was killed and another wounded.

In July 2023, Abdu Hussein, head of the security department for the North Shewa Zone's Shewa Robit city administration, was fatally shot by "unknown individuals."

Abdu's death occurred within 24 hours of another incident that claimed the lives of two senior security officials in the region's East Gojam Zone, Dejen district.

Inspector Zewdu Tadele, Dejen Wereda Police Department Chief, and Deputy Inspector Worku Shimelus, Head of Crime Prevention Unit for the East Gojam Zone, were shot and killed while monitoring eighth-grade exams in the zone, according to local authorities. Both were reportedly killed by "unknown assailants."

Prior to that, in late April 2023, Girma Yeshitila, head of the Amhara region's ruling Prosperity Party, was gunned down along with five others while traveling from Mehal Meda to Debre Berihan in the north Showa zone, at a location known as Menz, Guwasa.