Three young women were found murdered in Debre Elias district in the East Gojam zone of the Amhara regional state by Fano militants operating in the area.

A member of the Amhara Fano National Force Central Command, Asres Mare Damte, confirmed the incident to the BBC; he defended the action, saying that the three women were "caught spying for the enemy."

Debre Elias district authorities, for their part, accused the militants of killing women who were engaged in "day labor" and that one of them was "deaf."

Three women, aged between 17 and 19, were found murdered in an area called "Tija Goter Mekentiya" outside Debre Elias town on Tuesday, December 30, 2055, the head of the Woreda Peace and Security Office, Demis Alekheng, told the BBC.

Asked by the BBC about the information circulating on social media, Asres Mare Damte, a member of the Amhara Fano National Force Central Command, confirmed the authenticity of the matter.

Asres accuses the three women of "having been engaged in espionage for a long time since last winter" and says they did so "under the guise of day laborers".

"It is well established that they are reporting this intelligence work to the local militia and defense leaders," he said.