By The Haitian Tribune Staff
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — A series of drone attacks in Ethiopia’s northern Amhara and Tigray regions has killed at least 25 civilians since Thursday, according to witnesses and a medical source who spoke to Agence France-Presse.
In Amhara, witnesses said four strikes hit a camp for displaced people, about 400 kilometers northeast of Addis Ababa. One resident, identified only as Yasin, said 14 people were buried at the camp, and two others died while receiving medical treatment. He said children and pregnant women were among the victims.
Two other residents gave slightly different death tolls, reporting 14 and 15 people killed. One witness said the strikes began as students were returning home from school. Another said his sister-in-law was killed and that her body could not be recovered intact.
A separate drone attack struck a grain truck in the Tigray town of Rama, according to residents. One strike reportedly hit the vehicle carrying sorghum Thursday evening. The following morning, another attack hit people who had gathered to collect grain scattered around the site.
A medical source at a local hospital told AFP that the facility received 11 bodies. The conflict-monitoring group ACLED attributed the strike to the Ethiopian National Defence Force and reported 12 civilians killed, along with an unspecified number injured. The Ethiopian military did not respond to AFP’s request for comment.
The attacks are occurring as federal forces battle armed groups in Amhara and Tigray. The government has relied on drones during the fighting and has faced accusations that its operations have caused civilian casualties.
The Tigray People’s Liberation Front launched attacks against federal forces last month, but government troops later pushed the group from several strongholds. The TPLF has also formed alliances with insurgent groups elsewhere in Ethiopia, including Fano fighters in Amhara.
The widening conflict has raised concerns about regional escalation. Ethiopian forces have moved toward the border with Eritrea, whose troops have reportedly supported the TPLF.
The Haitian Tribune Africa
