(CNN) — At least 26 people have been killed in an explosion in the town of Finote Selam in northwestern Ethiopia, amid heavy fighting between government forces and a local militia group. The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) expressed “grave concern” over heavy fighting between the two groups beginning August 3 “following months of tension and sporadic clashes,” it said in a statement Monday. The Ethiopian government declared a six-month state of emergency in the Amhara region on August 4 after days of clashes. The United Nations “called on all sides to respect human rights and take steps to deescalate the situation,” noting that “previous states of emergency have been accompanied by violations of human rights” in a statement Friday. CNN has reached out to the federal government, the Ethiopian National Defense Forces, and the Amhara regional government for comment.

Source: Ethiopian News August 14, 2023 15:48 UTC