Four residents of the town of Alamata were taken hostage by “Tigray militants,” their families and a witness who was released after his arrest told the BBC.

According to family members and an eyewitness, four young people from Alamata, a town in the disputed region between Amhara and Tigray, were kidnapped by security forces from the Tigray region last Friday. The kidnapped individuals were reportedly involved in activism related to identity issues. The victims, Abadi Fentaw, Ambachew Haile, Kadir NurAddis, and Moges Meles, were taken to central Tigray.

According to family members, the youths, who were engaged in loading and unloading services, were arrested by the militants in the 04 Kebele area of the town.

The mayor of Alamata in the Tigray region denied the report, stating that no one was “kidnapped,” saying that only certain individuals were arrested and handed over to federal security forces due to “a disturbance of the peace.”

The disputed district of Raya Alamata was under Tigray’s control until the outbreak of war in 2020. However, Amhara forces have since taken control of it. With the resurgence of recent fighting, the town is now controlled by the federal army and police.

Nine individuals, including four of the group, were unloading furniture from a truck in the area when the incident occurred on Friday, eyewitnesses reported. “As soon as we finished unloading the furniture, someone told us to stay and sit down. We complied and waited. Then the armed militants appeared,” one witness recounted. According to the same witnesses, “at least six militants armed with rifles, along with two of their leaders,” arrived and took the four individuals with them. According to the witness, the four young men were actively involved in protesting the Tigray region’s control of the town and had been posting pictures on Facebook related to their protests and demonstrations.