Death toll in Ethiopia armed attack climbs to 207

Addis Ababa, Dec 26 (IANS) The death toll from a recent armed attack in Ethiopia's Benishangul-Gumuz regional state has risen to 207, the country's federal rights group has confirmed.Among the victims were 133 adult men, 35 adult women, some 20 elderly persons as well as 17 children, one of them a six-month-old baby, the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said in a statement late Friday.The bloodshed took place on Tuesday night and was carried out by armed men who set fire and shot at residents while they were asleep. Efforts are underway to identify the victims with the help of survivors and Identity Cards, the Xinhua news agency quoted the EHRC as saying.It added that a committee comprising members of police, regional authorities and the General Attorney's Office has been set up to monitor the identification, registration and burial of victims.A local official also informed the EHRC that two victims died while receiving treatment in Bulen Hospital on Thursday."The EHRC continues to monitor with relevant authorities the situation in Benishangul-Gumuz region," the commission said."In Bulen town, thousands of displaced persons are currently sheltered in a primary school and a meeting hall," the statement added.The EHRC also urged relevant authorities "to provide urgently needed humanitarian assistance to the victims and persons displaced by the attack".
--IANS ksk/