4 killed in unrest in Eastern Ethiopia

ADDIS ABABA, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Unrest in Ethiopia's eastern Harari regional state left four people dead, a regional official said on Tuesday.

Nesredin Ali, Harari regional state police commissioner, said the deaths happened on Sunday as organized "anti-peace" forces clashed with security forces, reported state-affiliated media outlet Radio Fana.

Another 10 people suffered light and heavy injuries in the clashes while seven trucks carrying humanitarian aid were destroyed in the unrest, according to the report, without identifying the identities of the victims.

Ali didn't specify what caused the unrest or who the anti-peace forces were.

"In addition, machineries amounting to 150 million Ethiopian birr (5.5 million US dollars) were destroyed in the unrest," he said.

Ethiopia is still reeling from unrest that affected large parts of the country in 2016. The unrest in 2016 led to the deaths of hundreds and was dubbed by analysts as the gravest challenge the ruling coalition Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front faced in 25 years.

The unrest involving parts of the three most populous regions of Amhara, Oromia and Southern regional states led to an imposition of martial law in October 2016 which was only lifted in August 2017.

However, sporadic deadly protests especially in Amhara and Oromia regional states in recent months have renewed fears about Ethiopia's stability. Enditem