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Ethiopia army chief shot amid unrest Ethiopia army chief injured in 'coup attempt'
(about 5 hours later)
Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed says the country's defence chief of staff has been shot following unrest in the northern Amhara region. The chief of staff of the Ethiopian army, Gen Seare Mekonnen, has been shot and wounded in the capital, Addis Ababa, officials say.
Appearing on TV dressed in military fatigues, Mr Abiy also said several officials had been killed in an attack in the Amhara regional capital Bahir Dar. He was shot trying to prevent a coup attempt against the administration in Ethiopia's northern Amhara region, PM Abiy Ahmed said on state TV.
Earlier the government said there had been an "attempted coup" in Amhara. In that unrest in the north, he added, several officials were killed in Amhara's regional capital, Bahir Dar.
Reports say the internet is down in the country. Ethnic violence has hit Amhara and other regions in recent years.
Residents in Bahir Dar reported hearing heavy gunfire. Since his election last year, Mr Ahmed has moved to end political repression by releasing political prisoners, removing bans on political parties and prosecuting officials accused of human rights abuses.
The US state department said it was also aware of reports of gunfire in the national capital Addis Ababa. The US state department has warned its staff in Addis Ababa to stay inside, saying it is aware of reports of gunfire in the city on Saturday.
Mr Ahmed was elected last year and has moved to end political repression in Ethiopia by releasing political prisoners, removing bans on political parties and prosecuting officials accused of rights abuses. What do we know about the attacks?
But since he has come to power, ethnic violence has re-emerged and has left 2.4 million Ethiopians displaced, the UN says. Information is scanty, with reports that internet has been down, but Prime Minister Ahmed, dressed in military fatigues, went on TV to make his announcement.
What happened? He said the chief of staff had been attacked by "mercenaries" but gave no details about his condition.
Mr Abiy said that Chief of Staff General Seare Mekonnen had been attacked by "mercenaries". Officials of the Amhara state government were killed by their own colleagues during a meeting, he added.
He did not give any details about his condition. A statement from the prime minister's office added: "The coup attempt in Amhara regional state is against the constitution and is intended to scupper the hard-won peace of the region.
He also said that some officials in Amhara had been in a meeting when they were shot and killed "by their colleagues". "This illegal attempt should be condemned by all Ethiopians and the federal government has full capacity to overpower this armed group."
Mr Abiy's spokesman Negussu Tilahun earlier said that the coup plotters had attempted to oust Ambachew Mekonnen, the head of the Amhara regional government. Earlier, the government said coup plotters had attempted to oust the head of the Amhara regional government, Ambachew Mekonnen, and efforts were under way to apprehend them.
Efforts were under way to apprehend them, he said. Residents in Bahir Dar have reported hearing heavy gunfire.
In a statement, the ruling party in Amhara accused a former security chief - who was released from jail after Mr Abiy came to power - of being behind the violence. The ruling party in Amhara has accused a former security chief, who was released from jail after Mr Abiy came to power, of being behind the violence.
One lecturer in Bahir Dar told Reuters news agency the gunfire in the city lasted at least four hours.
"I first thought it was just a normal kind of incident and then we began to hear heavy gunfire," he said.
Events scheduled for Sunday have been cancelled, state TV said.