December 11,2015
This video which purportedly captures the incident is circulating in social media
Grenade exploded at the Grand Anwar Mosque in Addis Ababa earlier today. The explosion came midst a peaceful demonstration with a big crowed.
Report by Reuters agent from Addis Ababa indicated that grenade attack took place soon after the Friday prayer is completed. The report added that at least six people are in hospital due to the attack and there is no reports of death related to the incident at this point in time. It is not known whether the situation of those in hospital is life threatening or not.
Some sources cited Fana Broadcasting – news outlet affiliated with the ruling party in Ethiopia -to report that the number of people injured is twenty four.
However, Getachew Reda, government spokes person, is quoted as saying that number of people wounded was not established at the time reported by Reuters.
The Grand Anwar Mosque is located in the heart of Addis Ababa’s business district – Merkato
No theory emerged as yet. Nor the government explained the incident at this point it time. And no party came forward to claim responsibility.
An incident of this nature is not a new experience for Addis Ababa or in other parts of Ethiopia. In the past, the ruling party itself was suspected of plotting grenade attack as part of its pursuit to manufacture pretext to forcefully suppress possible popular uprising.
There has been a volatile political situation in Ethiopia for weeks now following government crackdown on peaceful protesters who opposed the new Addis Ababa Master plan – a rather brutal crack down that left at least 14 citizens dead.
Ethiopian Muslims, on their part, were protesting government intervention in religious affairs and the arrest of committees Ethiopian Muslims elected to advance the cause of Ethiopian Muslims.
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