Five dead, four missing in Ethiopia attack

Ethiopian security forces are hunting gunmen who kidapped four people including two German tourists and killed five others in an attack in the Afar region.

Police say Eritrean-trained groups mounted the attack, a claim immediately rejected by Eritrea’s envoy to the African Union.

Western sources say two Germans and two Hungarians are among the five dead along with an Austrian. Several other tourists, including another Hungarian and an Italian have been seriously wounded.

Afar is harsh terrain with salt mines and volcanos that attract reserachers, aid workers, adventure tourists…and bandits. Ethiopia regularly accuses Eritrea of supporting Afar rebel groups.

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