A group of European tourists traveling through northern Ethiopia was attacked by gunmen who killed five people, wounded two, and kidnapped four others, including two Ethiopian guides. The attacks took place near the border with neighbor and rival Eritrea, leading Ethiopian officials to blame the attack on groups "trained and armed by the Eritrean government." An Eritrean ambassador called that allegation an "absolute lie." The two nations have been continualy at odds since a 1998-2000 border war that followed Eritrea's independence from Ethiopia.Austrian, Belgian, German, Hungarian, and Italian citizens were reportedly among the group or groups that were attacked, though the identities of the victims were not not immediately known. The area where they were attacked is remote volcanic region with little to no infrastructure that is described as being comparable to "the surface of Mars," but is popular with tourists because of its unique geographical features and hot springs.

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Dashiell Bennett