The defense ministry in Ethiopia on Monday dismissed recent social media claims that a helicopter had crashed in Amhara region.
In a statement the ministry said the claims were “misleading.”
It said the Western Air Command, based in Bahir Dar, conducted scheduled air force training exercises on November 16 and these military exercises required a “temporary suspension of regular civilian flights.”
The statement added that the suspension led to rumours on social media suggesting that a helicopter had “crashed or been damaged.”
However, the ministry firmly stated that “no helicopter has been damaged or faced any issues during the drills.”
The exercises, part of regular air force training, were described as having “successfully concluded,” with the Western Air Command resuming all planned operations.
“Normal civilian flight schedules have now resumed,” the ministry confirmed.
Referring to the claims, the ministry stated, “We would like to inform you that there is no crashed helicopter,” said the ministry alleging that supporters of rebel groups in the Amhara region have been disseminating the wrong information.
MG/as/APA