More than 160 explosives which were bound to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital were caught on Wednesday at the Woldia check point in the northern part of the country.
The explosives originated from Mekelle, the seat of restive Tigray regional state where a provisional administration is installed following the law enforcement operation by the Ethiopian Defense Force, the Ethiopian Federal Police Commission said in a statement.
The Addis Ababa bound explosive was loaded on an ISUZU pickup truck with a plate number A21084 and the commission did not mention if the smugglers were caught too.
Deputy Inspector of the Federal Police Commission, Amsalu kelebe, is quoted as saying that the explosives could have caused serious damage had the smugglers made it to central Ethiopia.
They are the kinds of explosives that are used in detonating structures like bridges, according to the deputy Inspector.
The Ethiopian government has been under immense media pressure to provide humanitarian access to the Tigray region – from where the explosives originated.
Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which now seems to be more of a clandestine ethnic-based organization as it has lost its legal status with the National Election Board of Ethiopia on grounds of attacking Ethiopian Army, spokesperson said that TPLF is still undertaking resistance to the Ethiopian Defense Force.
MG/abj/APA