Drone strikes in Ethiopia’s Amhara and Tigray regions killed at least 25 civilians, including children, on October 29 and 30, witnesses and medical sources said, as fighting between federal forces and armed groups continues.
In Amhara, witnesses said four strikes hit the Jari 2 camp. More than 1,700 people forced from their homes by earlier violence were staying there. Accounts put the camp’s death toll at 14 or 15.
A local official said 36 injured people needed medical care. Residents said the attack happened as students were returning home. They said children and pregnant women were among those killed.
In Tigray, residents had gathered in Rama to collect sorghum that had spilled from a truck hit the night before. Another drone strike hit the crowd. A hospital source confirmed 11 deaths there.
The conflict monitor ACLED put the toll at 12 civilians. The reported tolls in the two regions add up to at least 25. The counts differ because early reports were uncertain.
The Ethiopian army did not respond to AFP’s request for comment. Reuters reported that it was unclear who carried out the Amhara attack. The strikes come as fighting between federal forces and rebel groups has started again in the north.
The United Nations says ongoing fighting is increasing humanitarian and health needs in Amhara, Tigray and Afar.