Ethiopia's army chief general shot dead in attempted coup

Ethiopian army Chief of Staff, General Seare Mekonnen, has been shot dead in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said on state TV that General Mekonnen was shot trying to prevent a coup attempt against the administration in Ethiopia's northern Amhara region.

A statement from the Prime Minister's office added that:

"The coup attempt in Amhara regional state is against the constitution and is intended to scupper the hard-won peace of the region. This illegal attempt should be condemned by all Ethiopians and the federal government has full capacity to overpower this armed group."

Residents in Amhara's regional capital, Bahir Dar, have reported hearing heavy gunfire.

The ruling party in Amhara has accused a former security chief, who was released from jail after Mr Abiy came to power, of being behind the violence.

Since his election last year, Mr Abiy has moved to end political repression by releasing political prisoners, removing bans on political parties and prosecuting officials accused of human rights abuses.

The US state department has warned its staff in Addis Ababa to stay inside, saying it is aware of reports of gunfire in the city on Saturday.