February 11, 2011 (ADDIS ABABA) - The Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), the armed wing of the OLF rebel group has claimed it has killed the head of a government intelligence group in the country’s Oromoya region.

According to the group’s news agency, the OLF News, the intelligence official was killed by armed special units of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) in Eastern Oromia, Western Hararge zone.

The unnamed intelligence agent, who was head of the Chiro area, has been harassing the local people of the Oromo population in various, towns, and villages in Eastern Oromian Zone, said the rebel group.

The group warned that it would take similar retaliation measures against other intelligence agents, who it said are engaged in harassing the Oromo people.

“Those who continue to be part of the TPLF (government) killing machine will face the same death penalty unless they refrain from such evil act” it said.

“It is known that while the Oromo nationalists and the common Oromos of the area were happy about the action of OLA Special Force Unit, the supporters and messengers of the regime have panicked by the heroic deed of our fighters,” the group said. In November last year, the same group claimed it had killed the intelligence head and a government representative of Calanqoo town, in Eastern Harargee, Haile Gebre.

Earlier in November, armed Forces of the group said they had killed a commander of Ethiopia’s federal government special forces, named Tesfaye Megersa.

The OLA accuse Ethiopian forces of “continued inhumanly and unlawfully harassing, terrorizing, and killing” Oromo civilians accusing them of supporting OLA – an allegation the government rejects.

The Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) along with its armed wing, the OLA is labeled as a terrorist organization by the Ethiopian government.

Ethiopian authorities say the Oromo rebels have been defeated and are no longer a threat. However, the rebels stress that still active.

(ST)