Five miners in Ethiopia were shot dead by unidentified gunmen earlier this week and the Japanese Embassy is trying to confirm media reports Thursday that one of the victims was a Japanese citizen.

The victims, who included three Ethiopians and an Indian, were attacked in a car in the Oromiya region, some 500 kilometers west of Addis Ababa, on Tuesday, according to local media.

Several conflicts and a border dispute are simmering in the region, the reports said.

The Oromo Liberation Front, a popular party involved in armed conflict in the region, reached a deal last year with the federal government to disarm. But some of its factions have opposed efforts to restore peace.