Ethiopian authorities in West Gondar’s Quara Zone have accused Fano fighters of storming Gulegu town and vandalizing government institutions, in the latest escalation of clashes between federal forces and the Amhara-based militia.
The Quara District Communication Office said on Thursday that “extremist” Fano elements entered Gulegu and attacked sectoral institutions, setting fire to 74 offices and three vehicles, while seizing another. Images circulated online showed charred vehicles and damaged government buildings.
Officials also alleged that the fighters targeted properties belonging to at least 20 individuals, including senior officials of the ruling party. Among the affected offices were the district council, justice and communication departments, road and transport bureau, local health office, and a school. A committee assessing the incident claimed the militia also took police uniforms, suggesting they had briefly seized control of local security divisions.
Despite a heavy military presence in the region, the report indicated that Fano forces managed to hold the town for several hours. Fano representatives confirmed the incursion but denied accusations of vandalism. Yohannes Nigussue, spokesperson for the Amhara Fano National Force – North Amhara Belay Zeleke Command, told Ethiopian Media Service that while the militia had seized one vehicle, it deliberately left ambulances and other essential service vehicles untouched.
Fano leaders further alleged that government-organized units may have carried out the destruction to tarnish the group’s image.
The confrontation comes just weeks after Ethiopia’s Defense Chief of Staff, Field Marshal Berhanu Jula, told parliament that “90 percent of armed groups” in the country had been eliminated, with the remaining 10 percent expected to be neutralized soon.
Meanwhile, Fano forces in other parts of the Amhara region, including South Gondar, continue to claim territorial and military gains despite federal efforts to contain the insurgency.
