Ethiopia shoots down weapons-laden plane bound for rebels: Official

By Addis Getachew and Seleshi Tessema

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AA) - Ethiopia said Wednesday it shot down a cargo plane carrying weapons that crossed its airspace from Sudan.

Chief of Operations of the Combined Forces, Maj. Gen. Tesfaye Ayalew, told the state-run Ethiopian News Agency that the plane was bound for the northernmost region of Tigray that has been under the control of the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF).

He did not identify the owner of the plane but said it was from “Ethiopia’s historical enemies” who had been supporting anti-Ethiopian elements for decades and are now supporting the TPLF.

The plane was downed at around 10 p.m. local time near the border town of Humera.

Earlier, the government and the TPLF said a humanitarian truce in place since March in the almost two-year armed conflict was broken.

Both sides have traded blame for the new escalation.​​​​​​​