By Anadolu staff
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AA) — At least 20 civilians have died due to ongoing heavy clashes between the army in northern Ethiopia and Fano militia forces, local media reported Thursday.
Fighting that has also involved heavy artillery uprooted many near the city of Gonder in the Amhara region, a Fano stronghold, according to a local news website, the Addis Standard, citing local residents.
Last week, the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) vowed to continue "law enforcement operations" jointly with regional forces in Amhara in efforts that have been ongoing for over a year to quell the fighting.
"The law enforcement operation will only cease after full peace is restored in the Amhara region," said Col. Getenet Adane, the ENDF's public relations director, warning that militia members in the region have been "testing the patience of the Ethiopian military," in a televised statement aired by the state-run Amhara Media Corporation.
Adane also said that the past several months had seen an intensified armed campaign to undermine the military and seize power. "Therefore, we need to clearly state that the government is committed to ensuring that any government office is obtained through democratic means," he said.
He also mentioned that attempts to engage in peaceful dialogue with the militants had so far been unsuccessful.
Clashes reignited between the Fano militia and government forces last year after fighting with Tigray rebels further north came to an end.