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.
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.
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. The EHRC also urged relevant authorities “to provide urgently needed humanitarian assistance to the victims and persons displaced by the attack”.