ADDIS ABABA: Security forces in Ethiopia's Oromia state have killed 119 rebels, a top official said.

Alemayehu Tesfaye, Chief Administrator of East Wollega zone of Oromia regional state, said on Sunday that a further 43 suspected OLA rebels and their accomplices were also arrested during recent military operations. The rebels were suspected to be members of the outlawed Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), which is a  breakaway faction of the former 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. The OLF was designated as a terrorist group by the Ethiopian Parliament in 2011.

OLF was removed from the terror list in July 2018 to help facilitate negotiations and foster reconciliation. However, a breakaway faction of OLF estimated to have around nearly 3,000 fighters operates in the western and southern parts of the state.

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