In a stark reminder of the volatile security crisis gripping Ethiopia’s Amhara region, gunmen ambushed a vehicle carrying high school students returning from their national exams, leaving at least five wounded.
The attack took place on a Thursday afternoon in the Girgerad area of the Bibuni district, situated within the East Gojjam zone. According to local officials cited by the BBC, a group of 44 Grade 12 students were traveling in a commercial truck—commonly referred to locally as an Isuzu—making their way from the regional hub of Debre Markos back to the town of Dogo Zion when their vehicle came under fire.
The gunfire wounded five students, with medical and district authorities confirming that two individuals sustained severe injuries while the other three suffered minor trauma. All five victims are currently receiving treatment at the Bibuni District Primary Hospital. Local officials expressed deep anger and disappointment over the ambush, emphasizing that the attack targeted innocent youths who have no political alignment and were merely trying to secure their academic futures. Administrative sources labeled the perpetrators as an extremist group that resorted to targeting civilians after failing to confront regular defense forces.
The incident highlights a profound governance and security vacuum in the area. Local sources disclosed to the BBC that out of the 19 kebeles making up the Bibuni district, the government retains control over just six. This persistent instability has severely crippled the local education system, leaving no more than eight of the district’s 43 schools functional. While government security forces reportedly arrived at the scene shortly after the shooting, causing the militants to flee, students pointed out that they had been left to navigate the dangerous route without any active military escort.
This latest ambush is part of a broader, deeply entrenched conflict that has devastated the Amhara region for over three years. Human rights organizations have continuously raised alarms over the compounding humanitarian toll in the region, documenting rampant extrajudicial killings, civilian targeting, mass looting, and property destruction. As a direct consequence of the ongoing fighting, millions of students across the region remain entirely locked out of school, while everyday transit has become a high-stakes gamble due to frequent attacks on pedestrians and vehicles. The BBC noted that repeated attempts to reach a local militant group for comment on the incident were unsuccessful.
