Ethiopia drone strike in north kills three, Tigray sources say
The sources say a school, on a holiday break, was hit but the federal government has not commented.
A drone strike carried out by the Ethiopian military in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region has resulted in three fatalities, according to Tigrayan sources. The attack, which damaged a school building, highlights the lingering impact of the 2020-2022 civil war in parts of Tigray.
Multiple sources informed BBC Tigrinya that the strike hit Merewa Secondary School in the Raya Alamata district. Tigrayan military sources reported that three of their fighters were killed instantly and seven others were hospitalized following the attack. The school was reportedly on a holiday break at the time.
However, district governor Daniel Tamrat provided a different account, stating that one civilian died and four others were injured. He also noted that a nearby river, a source of water for residents, was struck. The Ethiopian army has not yet responded to the BBC's request for comment.
This incident occurs amidst a worsening political crisis in Tigray, fueling concerns of a potential return to full-scale conflict. The region's primary political entity, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), recently dissolved the interim administration established under the 2022 Pretoria Agreement – a peace accord signed by the TPLF and the Ethiopian government – and reinstated its pre-war council. Both sides accuse each other of failing to uphold the peace deal that concluded the 2020–2022 war.
Eritrea, a significant participant in the previous conflict alongside the Ethiopian military, has been accused of shifting its allegiance to Tigray. Last month, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed told parliament that the TPLF was preparing for war in collaboration with Eritrea, an accusation Eritrea denies.
A source told the BBC that Monday's attack allegedly involved Turkish drones carrying 12 bombs, confirming that Tigrayan forces were stationed at the secondary school. The source added, "It is winter and so there is no school now." The strike reportedly caused panic in Merewa, located 50 km (31 miles) west of Alamata town.
Local officials have claimed that heavy weapons attacks have repeatedly targeted the plain area, particularly near Waja at the Tigray-Amhara regional border. While fighting that erupted in western Tigray on August 1 between federal and Tigrayan forces has subsided, there are fears it could reignite on other fronts.