Ethiopia's Tigray rocked by new airstrike; 6 killed including children

Following three days of such bombings last week, a new airstrike rocked Ethiopia's Tigray province on Thursday, killing at least six people, including children, reported The Associated Press (AP) citing a spokesperson from Tigray. According to Legesse Tulu, a government spokesperson, the year-long war has intensified in the country and the latest bombing targeted a location in Mekele city where rival Tigray forces build and repair weapons. He further stated that the location is part of a Mefsin Industrial Engineering compound, which was also targeted last week.

Meanwhile, according to another Tigray spokesman, Nahusenay Belay, the airstrike did not hit a military target, but rather a civilian dwelling, killing six people and injuring more than 20. He said that rescuers were deployed in the region to retrieve bodies from the debris, reported the news agency. The Ethiopian government claims that the recent bombings were limited to military targets, but Tigray troops claim that civilian institutions including factories and a clinic were hit instead. Despite international appeals for a cease-fire, conflict continues in Ethiopia's neighbouring Amhara region, where Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government started a ground offensive earlier this month.

'UN humanitarian flights to Mekele till further notice'

On Friday, October 22, a United Nations humanitarian flight was forced to return due to Ethiopia's aerial assault on Tigray's capital city, Mekele. Ethiopian authorities were aware of the inbound flight carrying aid to the famine-stricken region, and the bombardment appeared to be a significant increase in the intimidation tactics used by authorities against humanitarian workers throughout the year-long Tigray war, reported The AP citing relief workers and a government spokesperson. All such flights into Mekele have been suspended till further notice, according to the World Food Programme.

Ethiopia's government has accused numerous humanitarian organisations of supporting Tigray forces in recent months, and it took the unprecedented step of expelling seven United Nations workers last month, accusing them of inflating the extent of the Tigray crisis without evidence. Medical cargo has been removed and aid personnel on United Nations flights have also been subjected to rigorous searches. Meanwhile, according to the United Nations, only 1% of the 5.2 million people in desperate need who were targeted received food help between October 7 and 13. It is worth mentioning here that since last November, thousands of people have been killed when a political conflict between Tigray forces, which have long dominated the national government, and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's administration turned into violence. 

(With AP inputs)

Image: AP