Drone strikes kill couple fleeing clinic, father with four children, in Tigray

Drone strikes kill couple fleeing clinic, father with four children, in Tigray

The victims were a husband and wife who had accompanied their daughter, who was in labour, to the clinic, residents said.

Two drone strikes in Medebay Terer, Tahtay Koraro woreda in northwestern Tigray, killed seven civilians, including an eight-year-old girl, and injured six others on October 9 and October 21, residents told Addis Standard.

The first strike occurred around midday on October 9 at Medebay Terer clinic, killing two people and injuring four others, according to residents.

The victims were a husband and wife who had accompanied their daughter, who was in labour, to the clinic, residents said.

According to their accounts, the drone struck three times in succession. Frightened by the initial strike, the couple fled with their daughter, but the drone reportedly followed them as they attempted to escape.

Both parents were killed, while four other people were injured, including the mother of the newborn baby, residents said. The injured were receiving medical treatment at a hospital in Shire.

The second strike occurred at around 9:00 pm on October 21, hitting a household in the same area while family members were gathered inside.

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The strike killed five people, including a father and his four children, among them an eight-year-old girl, and injured two other family members, residents told Addis Standard.

According to residents, the mother survived because she was outside preparing food for her children when the drone strike hit the house. The father and children inside the house were killed.

“It is very sad to see a whole family die suddenly while gathered together,” a resident told Addis Standard.

The two people injured in the second strike were also receiving medical treatment at a hospital in Shire, according to residents.

Recent drone strikes across Ethiopia’s Tigray region have intensified amid renewed fighting between Ethiopian federal forces and Tigrayan forces, raising concerns over civilian safety following the collapse of the November 2022 Pretoria Cessation of Hostilities Agreement.

Reporting by Addis Standard has documented mounting civilian casualties and extensive damage to residential areas, public facilities and humanitarian infrastructure.

Humanitarian operations have come under attack, with a drone strike on an internally displaced persons (IDP) shelter in Shiraro killing nine people and injuring 14 others, including a newborn baby.

In northwestern Tigray, another strike destroyed a Catholic Relief Services truck carrying more than 41 metric tons of food assistance, including maize and vegetable oil, destined for displaced people in Shiraro. The attacks threaten access to urgently needed aid amid continuing displacement and insecurity.

Educational facilities and media infrastructure have also been affected.

The Tigray Education Bureau condemned reported drone strikes on schools, including Abraha Weatsbaha Primary School, which disrupted education and injured teachers. Strikes have also been reported in Mekelle and Adwa, including an attack that disabled Tigray TV facilities.

In southeastern Tigray’s Hintalo district, a strike killed three people, including a two-year-old child. The repeated attacks have intensified calls for accountability, with Human Rights Watch demanding investigations into potential war crimes.