8 killed in communal clashes in western Ethiopia

Communal clashes in western Ethiopia's Benishangul-Gumuz regional state has killed eight people, local authorities said on Thursday.

A press statement from the regional state communications office said the communal clashes took place earlier this month in Wembera locality in the Metekel zone of the region.

The statement said around 385 people have been displaced by the communal clashes which also caused extensive property damage.

The statement further said 13 people suspected of involvement in the communal clashes have been arrested pending completion of an investigation into the deadly violence.

Regional and federal security forces have been deployed to the scene of the deadly communal clashes to prevent a recurrence of the deadly violence.

Ethnic violence between members of various ethnic groups in Benishangul-Gumuz regional state in recent months has left hundreds dead and thousands of others displaced.

The Benishangul-Gumuz regional state located in western Ethiopia along the border with Sudan, hosts the country's largest development project, the 5,150 mega watts Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which is under construction on the Blue Nile River.