Ethiopia: Eight People Killed in Airstrike on Church Grounds

On Thursday, witnesses and an opposition political party reported that an airstrike on church grounds in the Oromia region of Ethiopia resulted in the deaths of eight individuals and injuries to five while they were gathering corn. The witnesses stated that a church complex in the Horo Guduru Welega area, about 200 kilometers northwest of the capital Addis Ababa, was attacked on Monday morning as people were arriving to collect corn from a field. A church member, who requested anonymity, mentioned that among the deceased were two deacons, musicians from the church band, and a choir singer. Government spokesman Legesse Tulu denied the reports regarding the airstrike, labeling them as "completely false." Peace talks between the Ethiopian government and the Oromo Liberation Army, aimed at ending a decades-long conflict, collapsed without an agreement in November, leading to sporadic attacks in Oromia, the largest region in the country.