Airstrikes reportedly hit north Ethiopia after fall of Tigray capital 

by Prosper Kuzo, Face2FaceAfrica.com

rom midnight into Monday morning, airstrikes and artillery fire hit northern Ethiopia’s Tigray region, revealed aid sources, nearly two weeks into clashes between federal government and rebel forces that ‌have raised fears of wider fighting.

According to a bulletin circulated among humanitarian groups, air attacks claimed the lives of at least 17 people northwest of Tigray’s capital Mekelle – which federal Ethiopian National Defence Force soldiers took over the weekend.

The bulletin went on to add that government forces exchanged artillery fire with fighters loyal to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front – the region’s dominant political force which is part of a rebel alliance aiming to overthrow Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government.

Spokespeople for Abiy’s office, Ethiopia’s federal forces and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Reuters was unable to independently verify the reports.

Analysts warned that the fighting could spiral into a broader conflict. Ethiopia has accused Eritrea, Sudan and Egypt of backing the armed opposition, allegations all three countries have denied.

Ethiopia and Eritrea, which fought a border war from 1998 to 2000, severed diplomatic ties last week amid the dispute that has now seen airstrikes unleashed.

The violence reportedly began on September 23 and marks the most serious escalation since the 2020-2022 civil war in Tigray, a conflict that killed hundreds of thousands of people.

During that war, federal forces captured the Tigrayan capital Mekelle within a month. The TPLF retook the city seven months later.

On Monday morning, Ethiopian military and Tigrayan forces traded heavy artillery fire near the Tekeze River, close to the town of Mai Tsebri, according to a humanitarian bulletin.

The bulletin said airstrikes overnight killed at least nine people in Adwa, about 100 km (60 miles) northwest of Mekelle, and eight in Sheraro in northwestern Tigray, but did not identify those responsible for the strikes.

A second aid worker confirmed that airstrikes had hit Adwa but said they had no information on casualties.