Gunmen attack tourists; five killed

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, Jan. 18 (UPI) -- Gunmen attacked a group of tourists in Ethiopia, killing at least five people and wounding two others, police said.

A Defense Ministry official said the attack occurred Monday in Afar region, near Ethiopia's border with Eritrea, and blamed rebels with ties to Eritrea, Voice of America reported Tuesday.

The nationalities of the tourists weren't confirmed but reports indicated they were European and some of those killed were German, VOA said. The German Foreign Ministry said it was working with its embassy in Ethiopia on the matter.

Ethiopia often has accused Eritrea of supporting militant groups inside its borders. Eritrea gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1991 following a 30-year battle and the two countries fought a border war from 1998 to 2000.

The Afar region has hot springs, ancient salt mines and volcanoes. In 2007, a group of European tourists was kidnapped in the region but were released.