Ethiopia’s army chief has been killed amid a coup attempt in the African country. According to PM’s office, General Asamnew Tsige, the autonomous Amhara state’s head of security, tried to topple the government.

Ethiopia’s army chief of staff Seare Mekonnen (pictured above, right) was shot dead by his bodyguard in Addis Aaba just hours after an attempted coup in Amhara state left the regional president and another top adviser dead, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s office confirmed on Sunday.

Earlier, PM Ahmed announced the government had put down a coup attempt in the autonomous Amhara state in the country’s north.

In his TV address, the premier said that the botched coup was led by a very high-ranking regional military official and others within the country’s military. Billene Seyoum, a spokeswoman for PM Ahmed, later said the coup attempt was orchestrated by General Asamnew Tsige, the region’s head of security.

State media also reported that both the head of Amhara’s regional government, Ambachew Mekonnen, and his advisor, were killed, during the coup attempt.