At least one person was killed and another wounded on Saturday after drone strikes hit northern Ethiopia’s Tigray region, according to a senior Tigrayan official and a humanitarian worker, raising fresh concerns about renewed fighting between regional and federal forces.
The incident comes amid escalating tensions in western Tigray, where clashes between local and national forces were reported earlier this week, according to diplomatic and government sources cited by Reuters.
The senior Tigrayan official said the drone strikes targeted two Isuzu trucks near the towns of Enticho and Gendebta, locations roughly 20 kilometers apart. A humanitarian worker operating in the area separately confirmed that the strikes had taken place.
Both sources spoke on condition of anonymity due to security concerns.
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According to the Tigrayan official, the Ethiopian National Defence Force carried out the strikes, though no independent evidence was provided to support the claim. A spokesperson for the national army did not respond to requests for comment.
It was not immediately clear what the trucks were transporting at the time of the attack.
Dimtsi Weyane, a media outlet affiliated with the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, posted images on Facebook showing damaged trucks it said were struck by drones. The outlet claimed the vehicles were carrying food supplies and cooking materials.
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The reported drone strikes come less than two years after Ethiopia’s federal government and the TPLF signed a ceasefire agreement in late 2022, ending a brutal two year war in Tigray.
Researchers and humanitarian groups estimate the conflict killed hundreds of thousands of people, driven by direct fighting as well as the collapse of health services and widespread hunger.
While the peace deal formally ended large scale hostilities, the situation in parts of Tigray, particularly disputed western areas, has remained volatile.
Officials and aid workers said the latest violence risks further destabilising the region as investigations into the incident continue.
