Ethiopian rebels said Thursday they killed 25 soldiers protecting a Chinese oil exploration company called PetroTrans, as AP reported. It was not possible to verify the claims made by the rebels. Shimeles Kemal, Ethiopia's government spokesman, denied the claims, saying they are "absolutely unfounded." He also said no PetroTrans operations had been affected by any attacks. Ethiopian authorities usually deny claims made by the Ogaden National Liberation Front, or ONLF, which is listed as a terrorist organization in Ethiopia. The rebels said that 25 soldiers were killed and 'a few' members of the rebel ONLF during Tuesday's skirmish.
