The key facts
- At least 12 people were killed and several wounded in a drone strike in the town of Rama in the Tigray region
- Residents were collecting sorghum that had spilled after an overnight strike on a grain truck
- In October, strikes on the region and neighboring areas killed dozens, including 16 people in a camp for displaced persons in Amhara
Strike on people gathering grain
At least 12 civilians were killed and several others wounded on Friday in a drone strike in the town of Rama in the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia, local authorities and hospital sources confirmed on Saturday, Anadolu reports. The strike hit people collecting sorghum that had spilled onto the road after a private truck carrying grain for local traders was damaged overnight Thursday.
Confirmation by a monitoring organization and the context of escalation
The figures of 12 killed, the wounded and property damage were also recorded by ACLED, a monitoring organization that tracks violence worldwide. The incident occurred against the backdrop of renewed fighting in Tigray, where drone operations raise concerns for the safety of civilians. Earlier, in early October, according to the same reports, strikes in Medebay Tezaz... Medebay Terer killed seven civilians, including an eight-year-old girl, and wounded six; in the Hintalo district civilians also died, including a two-year-old child. The escalation extends beyond Tigray: on Thursday, a strike on the Hayik Jari 2 Türk camp for displaced people in the neighboring Amhara region killed at least 16 people and wounded 22, and strikes were also recorded in western Oromia.
Tensions with Eritrea
The conflict in northern Ethiopia has further strained relations with neighboring Eritrea: Addis Ababa accuses it of supporting armed groups and deploying troops into Tigray. Asmara rejects these accusations. Observers and sources of the publication note growing concern about the risk of a new regional confrontation; the report does not mention any confirmed steps toward de-escalation.
