Addis Ababa , November 11, 2008 – Ethiopia 's Foreign Ministry has denied recent reports suggesting its top diplomat to Somaliland was killed in a blast in Hargeysa.

Citing unnamed sources, a Press TV correspondent in Somalia reported on October 29 that 23 people, including the Ethiopian ambassador to Somaliland , had died in a series of blasts in the city.

The Ministry, however, in a press release published by the Ethiopian Herald said: "The truth is that four Ethiopian Trade Mission staff as well as a number of Somalilanders queuing for visas were killed but Ethiopia 's Trade Commissioner, Ambassador Woubshet Demissie was not killed."

He was not even in the [Embassy] building at the time, according to the statement.

The Ethiopian Embassy, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) compound, and Somaliland 's Presidential Palace were the targets of the October 29 bomb attacks.

Source: Press TV