ADDIS ABABA, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) announced on Thursday it has killed more than 200 suspected Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) fighters in a recent security operation.
In a press statement, ENDF said 22 other suspected OLA fighters were arrested during a three-day-long security operation in the East-Guji zone of Ethiopia's Oromia regional state.
The ENDF statement also said a large quantity of stolen properties has been recovered during the recent security operations.
OLA is a breakaway faction of an ex-rebel group Oromo Liberation Front (OLF). OLF is an opposition political party claiming to fight for the rights of ethnic Oromos who make up about 35 percent of Ethiopia's 110 million plus population.
OLA is estimated to have around 3,000 fighters, operating in the western and southern parts of Oromia regional state, the principal homeland of ethnic Oromos.
In May 2021, the Ethiopian parliament voted to designate the OLA as a terrorist group. ■