Officials said three children were among the dead, but a federal government spokesman denied there were any civilian casualties. The airstrike in Mekelle came two days after fighting broke out again between the national government and Tigrayan forces on the border of Tigray and Amhara regions, destroying the ceasefire. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Tigrai TV, controlled by regional authorities, blamed the federal government for the strike. No other military aircraft operate in Ethiopian airspace. The Ethiopian government then urged Tigray residents to stay away from military installations, saying it intended to “take measures to target military forces”. Kibrom Gebreselassie, CEO of Ayder Hospital, said on Twitter that the hospital received four dead, including two children, and nine wounded. He said the strike hit a playground. Reuters could not independently verify his account. It was unclear if there were any military installations nearby. Federal government spokesman Legesse Tulu said reports of civilian casualties were “lies and fabricated drama” and accused Tigrayan authorities of “throwing away body bags”. He denied that the government strikes hit civilian facilities and said they only targeted military facilities. Footage released by Tigrai TV showed a building with its roof off, revealing a twisted jumble of slides and emergency workers carrying a stretcher behind a damaged pink wall painted with a giant butterfly. People inspect a damaged playground after an air strike in Mekelle, the capital of Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region, on August 26, 2022 in this still image taken from video. Tigrai TV/Reuters TV via REUTERS read more
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Fasika Amdeslasie, a surgeon at Ayder Hospital, said a colleague at Mekelle Hospital told him he had received three more bodies – a mother and her child and another unidentified person – bringing the total number of dead to seven. The bodies taken to Ayder included a boy of about 10, two women and a young teenager, he said. “Their bodies were torn apart,” he told Reuters. “I have seen their bodies myself.” The surgeon said restrictions on medical supplies entering Tigray meant the hospital lacked vital supplies, including intravenous fluids, antibiotics and painkillers. Ethiopian Health Minister Lia Tadesse did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the shortages. A humanitarian source in Mekelle confirmed hearing an explosion and anti-aircraft fire in the town on Friday. Government airstrikes have previously killed civilians, the researchers said. In January, a drone strike killed 56 people and injured 30, including children, in a displaced persons camp in Dedebit, according to witnesses. The government did not respond to requests for comment. The war broke out in Tigray in November 2020 and spread to neighboring Afar and Amhara regions a year ago. Last November, Tigrayan forces marched on Addis Ababa, but were pushed back by a government offensive. A ceasefire was announced in March after both sides fought to a stalemate and the government declared a humanitarian truce, allowing much-needed food aid into the region. When fights broke out this week, they both blamed each other. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Report from Nairobi Newsroom. George Obouloutsa writes. edited by Angus MacSwan Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
