WORLD : Clash May Signal Ethiopia Coup Bid
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NAIROBI, Kenya —
Ethiopian soldiers and tanks surrounded the Ministry of Defense in Addis Ababa today while Marxist President Mengistu Haile Mariam was abroad, and there were reports of fighting in what might be a coup attempt.
Sources in Addis Ababa said helicopter gunships and two MIG-21 fighters flew over the center of the capital and troop carriers were seen moving along the airport road. Ethiopian radio and television continued to broadcast normally, however, and shops and bars in the capital remained open, diplomats and relief workers said.
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