By Staff Writer
NAIROBI, Kenya — Tensions between the Ethiopian federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) have intensified following fresh drone strikes targeting urban areas in Mekelle.
According to regional media summaries and independent news outlets including Addis Standard and Meseret Media, airstrikes hit residential and administrative zones across the regional capital early Thursday.
Regional communication outlets and eyewitness reports indicate that the primary strike hit residential zones in Hawelti Sub-City near the Momona station and St. Mary (Edamaryam) Church. A second strike reportedly targeted the Kuha area near the Northern Command headquarters complex.
TPLF officials, including Vice President Amanuel Assefa, confirmed the military action, stating that strikes hit civilian residential areas and near Mekelle University grounds. Local news services, including Tigrai Media House, reported heavy structural damage in Daero village and surrounding residential compounds. Residents confirmed a secondary strike near Kuha, though specific casualties or property destruction at that site remain under verification.
Medical personnel at Ayder Comprehensive Specialized Hospital in Mekelle reported receiving 13 civilian casualties requiring urgent surgical and trauma care following the early morning bombardment. Hospital officials confirmed the arrival of injured civilians starting at 5:30 AM, originating from the Daero and Hawelti residential sub-cities. Attending physicians confirmed that the wounded include mothers and young children caught in residential compounds during the attack.
No verified confirmation exists indicating whether high-ranking TPLF political or military leaders sustained injuries during the strikes. The Tigray Regional Communication Bureau strongly condemned the attacks, warning Mekelle residents to exercise extreme caution and avoid military installations amid risks of follow-up aerial bombardments.
As of Thursday afternoon, the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) government and the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) have not issued an official statement or taken public responsibility for the military operation. Security analysts view the deployment of drone assets against regional administrative centers as a severe threat to the fragile peace established under the November 2022 Pretoria Cessation of Hostilities Agreement.
The aerial operation follows escalating border skirmishes—including an August 1 military confrontation near the Sudanese border and recent strikes in southern Tigray—raising international fears of a return to full-scale armed conflict.
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