4 bombs explode in Ethiopia's capital: 2 dead, 21 wounded

Four bombs exploded in Ethiopia's capital Friday, killing two people and wounding 21, a police spokesman and witnesses said.

Photo: 4 bombs explode in Ethiopia's capital: 2 dead, 21 wounded

4 bombs explode in Ethiopia's capital: 2 dead, 21 wounded

One of the bombs exploded outside two cafes in Addis Ababa's busy Mercato district, killing two people and injuring seven others, five of them seriously, witnesses said. Federal police spokesman Commander Demsash Hailu said the blasts were the work of an organization trying to discredit the government.

The first blast occurred at 4:50 a.m. (0150GMT) in one of Addis Ababa's main plazas and damaged an Ethiopian Airlines office, but caused no injuries.

The next three blasts occurred between 9:20 a.m. and 9:40 a.m. One damaged the headquarters of the city's electricity company, injuring seven. The next blast blew out the front of a city bus, injuring seven, witnesses said. The final blast was at the cafe.

"We believe the main target of these bombings are the civilians and it is being done intentionally to give an impression that there is no peace or stability in Addis Ababa," Demsash said. "We believe all of this is being perpetrated by one organization, we believe this because the bombings in March and today illustrate coordinated attacks occurring simultaneously."

However, he declined to name which organization police suspected had carried out the attacks.

There are two rebel groups fighting for autonomy in two Ethiopian regions and small bombs have become a common occurrence in the capital, but rarely cause injuries or significant damage. No group has claimed responsibility for any of the bombings.

The leaders of the mainstream political opposition are also on trial on treason charges in Addis Ababa, reports the AP.

I.L.