By Dr. Yonas Workineh
At least 13 people, including adults and children, were taken to Ayder Specialized Hospital on Thursday after a reported drone strike in Mekelle, the capital of Tigray Region, as renewed security tensions continue to raise fears of a wider conflict.
The first strike was reported in Hawelti Sub-City, around Momona Kebele and near St. Mary Church, where residential areas were reportedly hit. The Tigray Bureau of Communication Affairs initially reported that two adults and two children had been injured.
Ayder Specialized Hospital later said its emergency department received 13 casualties following a drone strike in the Daero residential area. The victims arrived at around 11:30 a.m. and were receiving medical and surgical treatment.
A second drone strike was reported in the Kuha area of Mekelle, according to residents. No casualties were reported from that incident.
The Tigray Bureau of Communication Affairs accused the federal government of carrying out the attacks and urged residents to remain vigilant amid concerns about possible further strikes. The federal government has not publicly claimed responsibility for the attacks or responded to the allegations.
The incidents came just two days after another reported drone strike near Mekelle. The BBC, citing local officials and eyewitnesses, reported that one person was killed and another injured in that incident. The Ethiopian military did not publicly acknowledge responsibility.
Rising tensions in Tigray
The latest strikes come amid renewed political and military tensions between Ethiopia’s federal government and authorities in Tigray, less than four years after the Pretoria Agreement brought the 2020–2022 war to an end.
On August 10, allegations of drone strikes were also reported in southern Tigray, near the border with the Amhara Region. Accounts of the incident differed, with Tigrayan officials reporting casualties among forces in the area, while other local sources said civilians and a secondary school were affected.
AFP, citing Tigrayan officials and a medical source, reported that four Tigrayan fighters were wounded. Meanwhile, BBC Tigrinya reported three deaths and seven injuries following three alleged drone strikes.
Local officials gave different accounts of the incident, while the federal government did not publicly comment on the allegations at the time.
Earlier this month, fighting was also reported in western Tigray near the Sudanese border. Heavy artillery and drone attacks were reportedly used during clashes in the Shererina area on August 1, prompting hundreds of people to cross into Sudan. Some wounded fighters were reportedly among those who crossed the border.
The recent incidents have intensified concerns that unresolved political and security disputes between federal and Tigrayan forces could develop into renewed armed confrontation.
Similar allegations in Amhara
Drone strikes have also been reported in neighbouring Amhara Region, where federal forces have been fighting the Fano armed movement.
Reports from the region have included allegations of civilian deaths, property destruction and livestock being killed in drone attacks attributed to federal forces.
A recent photo essay by The Globe and Mail photojournalist Siegfried Modola documented the conflict in parts of Amhara and included accounts from people living in areas affected by the fighting.
In the report, Fano commander Asalif Desta accused government forces of carrying out drone attacks against civilian locations, including schools, hospitals and religious gatherings. The allegations could not be independently verified.
The report also featured the account of Fiker Adeline, 27, who said her brother was killed in a drone strike approximately six months earlier. She recalled waking to an explosion and finding significant destruction around her home.
As reports of drone strikes and armed confrontations continue to emerge from Tigray and Amhara, concerns are growing over the possibility of renewed instability in northern Ethiopia.
The latest incidents also underscore the continuing risks faced by civilians as political disagreements and military tensions remain unresolved.
