A local official told the BBC that the clashes occurred between Saturday evening and Sunday morning.

The official claimed the armed men were members of the rebel group Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), but did not disclose if there were any casualties.

The incident is yet another indication of rising insecurity in the southern and western part of the country.

A humanitarian truce agreed between the government and Tigrayan forces has ignited hope for a resolution to the 17-month civil war in the north.

But in Oromia, the country’s most populous region, clashes have continued to be reported between government forces - which include the army and regional police - and the OLA.

On Saturday a top military official, Col Girma Ayele, said security forces were taking “decisive” measures against the OLA in what he called a “coordinated operation.”

The OLA on their part say they are winning battles.

Odaa Tarbii, a spokesperson for the group, claimed in a tweet on Monday that government forces sustained “heavy causalities” in a place called Malka Lammii in southern Oromia.

There are concerns that instability in multiple places could exacerbate the humanitarian crises across the country.

A combination of drought, conflicts and disease outbreaks could result in more than 20 million Ethiopians requiring humanitarian assistance this year, according to the UN.