Armed clashes between the Fano militia and Ethiopian federal forces have reportedly intensified in the Oromia region, with the Fano group claiming that over 280 government troops were killed in battles that took place over the past three days in Wollega.
According to Ethio News, a local outlet reporting closely on the Fano movement, the group’s Wollega command stated that its fighters had launched coordinated attacks on five separate fronts in the Kiremu district of Wollega, engaging in heavy combat with federal military units.
The Fano command claimed it had killed 280 soldiers, captured 25 others—including two senior commanders with the rank of Major—and seized significant quantities of weaponry, including 290 AK-47 rifles, one DShK heavy machine gun, and four Bren light machine guns.
The reported clashes mark a significant development, as they come outside the Amhara region, the traditional stronghold of the Fano movement. The group’s expansion into Oromia’s Wollega zone—a region long marred by inter-ethnic violence and instability—signals an alarming spread of the conflict.
Kiremu, in particular, has been the site of repeated massacres targeting ethnic Amhara communities in recent years. While the federal government has often blamed the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) for the violence, the group has denied responsibility.
The Fano statement did not disclose the number of casualties on its own side. So far, Ethiopia’s Defense Forces and the Ministry of Government Communication Services have not issued any official response to the reported confrontations or to Fano’s claims.
In a separate development, Fano fighters operating within the Amhara region claimed further military advances over the past five days in areas including Gojjam, Gondar, Shewa, and Wollo.
Fano sources said the group had launched a counter-offensive across 11 fronts under an operation named “Gedebye Memorial”, in reference to a recent incident where 11 civilians were reportedly killed by government forces in the town of Gedebye.
The militia alleges that it has killed 91 government soldiers and 11 officials affiliated with the ruling Prosperity Party in the course of the new campaign. These claims have not been independently verified, and the federal government has yet to comment on the situation.
The surge in clashes underscores Ethiopia’s continuing security crisis, particularly as tensions between the Fano militia and federal authorities deepen. The government had earlier launched a wide-ranging campaign, dubbed “Operation Tide”, to dismantle Fano positions in the Amhara region. That operation was reportedly scheduled to conclude by July 7, but renewed fighting suggests instability is far from over.
