ADDIS ABABA, June 28, 2007 (ST) — The Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), armed wing of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), killed over 30 soldiers and captured nine others in an attack on Woyanne regime troops in eastern Ethiopia, a rebel radio reported.
The eastern zonal commander has said that on June 19, 2007, the OLA took a punitive strike against Ethiopian troops at a place called Fulale in the district of Boku, East Hararge Zone, killing over 20 soldiers and wounding 10 others. Besides killing and wounding Ethiopian soldiers in the attack on their base, the OLA captured nine soldiers.
In the attack, the OLA captured over 10 AK-47 assault rifles, six F1 grenades, over 350 firearm rounds as well as other materiel and turned them into an asset for Oromo liberation Army, reported the rebel radio Voice of Oromo Liberation.
On top of the military action against the Woyanne forces, the OLA stormed a jail and freed 12 OLF prisoners languishing in there.
On the same date, OLA operating in eastern zone expanded its activity. It overpowered and disarmed a large number of village militiamen the government had set up to fight the rebel OLA.
After subduing and confiscating many Kalashnikov rifles from the militiamen, the OLA explained to them the objectives of the Oromo liberation struggle spearheaded by the OLF, about the OLA military activities. The militiamen were then allowed to return to their home areas.
(ST)