ADDIS ABABA, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- A traffic accident in Ethiopia's northern Amhara regional state has led to the seizure of a huge number of illicit arms, local media reported on Monday.

A fuel tanker truck originating in neighboring Sudan and travelling in northern Ethiopia, overturned while trying to avoid hitting a stray goat, the Metema locality communications affairs office of Amhara regional state said in a statement.

"Local police which arrived at the scene of the traffic accident to help the injured driver, instead found 97 Kalashnikov rifles and 1,291 handguns that were hidden in the fuel tanker truck," the statement said.

"The truck driver has been discharged from hospital after receiving first aid treatment and is currently under arrest pending completion of investigation into his illegal activity," the statement added.

Arms smuggling is relatively common in northwest Ethiopia, with people using firearms as protection against blood feuds and as a personal trophy.

However, smuggled firearms have also been used by criminals to commit robbery and by various minor rebel groups to initiate armed struggle against the government.