Addis Abeba — A deadly assault in the Segen district of Konso Zone, located in the South Ethiopia region, claimed the lives of eight police officers and five civilians.
In an interview with Addis Standard, Urmale Ugande, the administrator of the Segen district, disclosed that the attack on 18, August, 2024, was carried out by individuals he referred to as "members of an extremist group."
The administrator has reported that the death toll has increased to 14 individuals.
"Following the attack on Segen administration and local government structures, the assailants targeted both civilians and government personnel," Urmale recalls. "They also engaged in looting, seizing various properties, including cars, computers, motorcycles, and other items."
The administrator of the Segen district reports that the attackers launched a heavy assault on a police station, seizing weapons and other items from the station.
"When the militia and police forces were compelled to withdraw from the area, overwhelmed by the group's superior strength, the extremists set fire to several homes," he elaborates.
Urmale further reports that some residents were evacuated following the attack, while others were tragically killed or abducted. He continued, "The police officers were killed while valiantly defending a government office."
Urmale described the attackers as "well-organized individuals originating from the Dirashe district located in the Gardula zone and the Keyat Village in the Burji zone of the South Ethiopia region."
"After the attack on Saturday night, police forces entered Segen City, but they were ultimately outmatched by the extremists, forcing our forces to withdraw," the administrator explains.
He added that the attackers set fire to government buildings and looted the police station, the city administration office, the local hospital, and the finance office. "The extent of the attack is significant, and we are currently searching for missing individuals," Urmale stated.
The district administrator further reported that the attack continued until Tuesday night.
"The Ethiopian National Defense Force and the Federal Police have since entered the area, prompting the group to flee," he recalls. "We are now recovering the bodies of those who have been unaccounted for over the past four days."
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Urmale claims that most members of the attackers have been sentenced in absentia for crimes committed against regional special police forces in the Dirashe district, specifically in Honte village.
"They are wanted by the government for previous offenses," he explains.
According to Urmale, the assailants have been attacking the area previously, which has resulted in the deaths of civilians, government workers, and police forces.
According to a statement issued by the Konso Zone Communication Office yesterday, "the extremist forces have destroyed property valued at more than 600 million birr to date."
The statement further stated that during the recent attack, "the anti-peace forces, which are destabilizing the area and disrupting the peace of the people, destroyed the district administration building, agriculture office, police station, council hall, and municipality building."
It also adds that "hospital digital medical equipment, government vehicles, and equipment belonging to 23 government sector offices were looted and stolen" by the attackers.
The Konso zone was also the target of an "extremist group" attack back in April 2022.
During that time, Addis Standard reported that approximately 37,000 people, including 19,000 women and girls, were displaced from 10 kebeles in the Konso Zone due to intercommunal violence.
The violence included acts of crop destruction, livestock theft, property damage, and loss of life.
