Tigray People’s Liberation Front Alleges Airstrikes Hit Public Infrastructure Across Five Zones, as Residents Detail Insurgent Occupation of Educational Facilities
By Staff Writer
(Nairobi, Kenya) — Following heightened friction in northern Ethiopia, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) has accused federal authorities of executing repeated air strikes on civilian infrastructure, while local reports indicate military personnel have been stationed inside public schools.
The latest escalation marks a fragile turn for a region attempting to recover from two years of devastating civil war. In November 2022, the Ethiopian federal government and the TPLF signed the African Union-mediated Pretoria Peace Agreement (Cessation of Hostilities Agreement), which formally halted a conflict that had claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and displaced millions across northern Ethiopia. The deal mandated a permanent end to hostilities, the restoration of constitutional order, unhindered humanitarian access, and the disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) of Tigrayan combatants. However, unresolved tensions, delayed rehabilitation, and lingering political friction have placed increasing strain on the peace process.
In statements obtained by Deutsche Welle (DW), TPLF spokesperson Michael Asegdom alleged that air operations involving drones and MiG aircraft have directly hit public facilities across five zones.
“In the North Western Zone, a secondary school in the town of Dejen was hit for the second time and completely destroyed,” Asegdom stated. “In Enderta district, a tree planting station and a residential village were struck, while in Raya Azebo district of the Southern Zone, farmers working in their fields were targeted.”
Addressing the strikes, spokesperson Michael Asegdom denied that any military installations or logistics were hit, insisting that federal operations have strictly impacted public facilities and local communities.
However, a former local official from Alamata town provided a contrasting account to DW, asserting that TPLF forces have routinely converted public educational institutions into operational quarters.
“Alamata town has eight schools, including four high schools, all of which are being utilized as military camps,” the former official stated, adding that elementary schools and municipal structures across the area are currently occupied by armed forces.
Residents in the Southern Zone confirmed that an air strike on a school in Merewa on July 12, 2026, targeted military supplies and personnel stationed inside the compound. Local sources noted that classrooms, health centers, and places of worship have increasingly been repurposed as military strongholds and supply depots.
Criticizing international diplomatic efforts, Asegdom stated that global partners have failed to give sufficient focus to the renewed friction, warning that a failure to engage could plunge the broader region into further instability. Federal authorities have not issued an official response to the allegations.
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