Suspected Ethiopian coup leader killed

Addis Ababa: The suspected leader of the failed coup that rocked the Ethiopian state of Amhara has been killed according to state-media.

Brig. Gen. Asaminew Tsige was reported to have been shot dead late Monday.

"Tsige was shot at Zenzelma, 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) from the regional capital Bahir Dar while trying to run away from the security operation," state-run television said.

At least 13 security personnel died from during the failed coup attempt to overthrow the government of Ethiopia's populous Amhara regional state, an Ethiopian official revealed on Tuesday.

Abere Adamu, Amhara region police commissioner, told state media that six security personnel were killed during their efforts to counter the coup, while four others sustained serious physical injuries from gunshots.

Adamu said that the regional security apparatus, working in partnership with the federal government, had so far arrested four senior regional officials as part of an ongoing high-level investigation into the coup attempt.

Among the four high-level suspects were Brig Gen Tefera Mamo, head of Amhara region's special forces, the regional police commissioner revealed.

The failed coup attempt left at least 5 senior federal and regional government officials dead, including the Amhara regional state president, Ambachew Mekonnen, as well as the chief of staff of Ethiopia's army Gen Seare Mekonnen, according to the country's government.

Among the five senior regional and federal government officials who been confirmed dead are Migbaru Kebede, Attorney General of the Amhara regional state, Ezez Wassie, who was an advisor to the Amhara region's president, as well as Major-General Geza'e Abera, a retired former senior official in the Ethiopian army.

While three of the regional government's officials were killed in the Amhara regional state's capital Bahir Dar, some 570 km from the capital Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian army chief and Abera were killed in an attack in the capital Addis Ababa, according to Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

The Ethiopian Federal Police Commission revealed on Tuesday that the two attacks in Bahir Dar and Addis Ababa were "highly coordinated".